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Forsaken

Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I made a promise to myself that I'd get something up on this site this year, and so I'm going to keep it.

I'm going to be very truthful about this. This story is going to be different from my previous stories, if you are familiar to my style and preference. I have no limits to chapters, so some will be rather long, the highest being 49 pages. It's darker than normal, and it has, and I mean HAS, a religious feel to it. It's stronger in some areas, but trust me, it's there. Included are religious philosophies and/or doctrines you may or may not believe in, and I hope to not offend anyone. I do not intend to do so, nor am I shoving any form of belief down your throats. If you end up feeling this way, please let me know.

For this reason, I shall warn you if there are talks of anything religious before a chapter if you want me to. I may not have to, however, as I'll include scripture verses or song/hymn lyrics before the start of the chapter, which may tell you what you may expect in the upcoming chapter, or to help guide it through. If it's against the rules, let me know and I'll remove them.

Now, for the pairing. Like it or not, I don't care, but the main focus is (some of you may have seen this coming) Mewshipping, Mewtwo and Mew. There will be other pairings in here, but some are less obvious than others, so I won't list them unless asked to.

The rating is no higher than PG-15 at the moment, but it will be in the R rating range as the story progresses. It's rated for language, peril, violence, and attempted suicide. Sexual themes will be more prominent later on.

This is posted on FanFiction.net, but being half-way done, it's not yet completed. I think within a couple month's time, both here and there be updated at the same time with the same chapter, but it depends on how quickly I finish the remaining chapters while updating here.

Now, without further ado, I give you "Forsaken". I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Pokémon (c) Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, and GAME FREAK. Song lyrics are also copyrighted to their respected owners.

“Master, with anguish of spirit I bow in my grief today
The depths of my sad heart are troubled. Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish Sweep o`er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master. Oh, hasten and take control!”
-- “Master, the Tempest is Raging”, Hymn 105, verse two

*~*~*

“WHAT! A world war?!”

Startled by Ho-oh's sudden outburst, Suicune bowed her head, her once-flowing mane drooped over her arched back. “Y-Yes, sir. Sinnoh was bombed by Orre, and the other regions are getting ready to come defend it. It's more likely than not to be a... world war...” The legendary North Wind grew silent, stricken with sorrow and age before the Guardian's eyes. The ribbon tail refused to undulate about the legs, it instead lay trailing on the ground. Her crest upon her forehead had long ago lost its shine and was now a dull, melancholy green. Her delicate fur was suddenly noticed to be smudged with dust clinging to her in clumps. Black and blue surrounded her dull eyes, indicating her lack of sleep. She was pitiful, unworthy to stand before someone with whom she was once equally revered to.

Ho-oh nodded at his creation before craning his neck to the rust-colored sky. It was still daytime, past noon, but it was cloudy—rain was probable. Though he looked forward to rainstorms, he feared these rains. Pollution had infected the vapor, turning it into acid rain in many cases, thus he became hesitant to fly around and create his famous rainbows. But then again, he had been finding himself unable to fabricate them. Once able to shine with the colors of the rainbow, his feathers were now worn and battered, so the phoenix could now only gleam at a perfect angle if the sun hit him just right. The crown atop of his head was being pulled by gravity so it now hung in sight, and his fiery eyes were burning out. It was unclear whether they were becoming mortal, or if the stress was getting to be a huge burden. He figured it was the latter.

The world had become more sinful to the point the Legendaries didn't dare show their faces. They could feel the evil expanding, and feared it was going to reach them as well. This fear was what caused them to start wilting from their high positions. As pollution became thicker and more prominent, Celebi was struggling to keep plant-life prosperous, resorting to using his life-source to do so. The last time Ho-oh saw him, he was beginning to turn a color of rot. Jirachi, many years back, had eventually broken free of his sleeping spells and began to use stored energy from the Millennium Comet as his powers. However, because he never knew of the real world, of its greedy, power-hungry lusts, it became a gut-wrenching experience for him. His cheerful face transitioned to a blank mask within months of the realization, and then he went into hiding where his wishing powers depleted over time. Darkrai, though he lived off nightmares, was struggling with demons from the people he tried to haunt. It grew difficult for him to find true fear to feed, and he fled to isolate himself away from civilization. Even Giratina had to get away from the world, and would only come out of his dimension if the Legendaries really needed him.

However, even though they all were being afflicted by the ever-increasing evil, Mew was hit the hardest. As the world grew more wicked, she became ill, unable to properly do her duties as Guardian of the Tree of Beginning, and couldn't keep her home, the Amazon, from being further destroyed. Her powers started to weaken, and her optimistic nature slowly diminished. There were days she became unwilling to eat, and already tiny as she is, Mew lost weight. A few times she had mentioned she was developing suicidal thoughts from the stress she was receiving, but thankfully never acted upon it when her friends came to check up on her daily. Even so, when he last saw her months ago, she didn't look herself, more notably in the eyes. Her sapphire eyes used to sparkle day and night from her pure soul, but now she had shown her experience at last, and her innocent spirit had been broken. The poor thing was all that was left of the sweet creature he once knew.

Ho-oh came to the conclusion years ago the world was destroying not just itself, but its guardians as well. Cause and effect proved everything that happened to the inhabitants affected them, and vice versa. Carelessness on their end and rebellion from the past generations brought it into further fruition.

He let out a slow sigh, bowing his head and turning to the quivering beast before him. “I believe this calls for a conference,” he confirmed. “Gather the Legendaries you can find, while I search for my share. We will be meeting at Mirage Island to discuss the issue.”

Suicune snorted in agreement, snapping her head to the side. “Right away, sir,” she barked before she kicked off, disappearing swiftly over the horizon. The Sky Guardian spread out his wings moments later, and took off as well, heading for the clouds to conceal himself from human eyes.

*~*~*

It had been decades since many of the Legendaries last saw each other, and thus the gathering felt more like a memorial than a conference. Old friends worriedly examined each other, taking in the shell of what was once their glorified selves. Life-time rivals only stared pitifully one to another at what remained of their strength and boisterous powers. Siblings huddled together as though trying to hold themselves up higher for a little longer, leaning on each other for support or comfort. No one spoke nor sent telepathic messages across the field, instead they sat deathly silent in their assigned places as they waited for the meeting to begin.

Ho-oh stood at the forest's outer edge, watching the skies and the surrounding land. There were a few still unaccounted for, but they were coming. Even without being told details of its urgency, none of them would dare ditch a gathering important as this. Had it been a casual assembly, he would not have bothered taking the time to usher them into the clearing, and there would be plenty of empty seats sticking out from the crowd.

A small pinpoint of light caught his eye, and the phoenix glanced over to see the three shapes of the Lake Trio taking form. They were holding hands, Mesprit in the middle with her brothers on either side. None of them were elegant in their movements like he usually saw them, their twin tails hanging limply from their bodies and the gems only giving meek glimmers from their depths. Both of them looked upon Ho-oh rather somberly (though Uxie had his head down as though deep in thought or silent prayer), bags visible under their golden optics.

He gave a respectful nod. “Azelf. Mesprit. Uxie,” he greeted them individually.

“Ho-oh,” they said in unison, voices tired and grim.

“How are the lakes?”

Each took turns looking at one to another, and the eldest, Azelf, replied meekly, “To be honest, we don't know. We haven't left each other's company for quite some time.”

“Fifteen years and seven months,” Uxie muttered, head still dropped. One of his tails weakly flicked.

The phoenix frowned, but remained silent as he gestured to the clearing with a wing. The Lake Trio each bowed their heads and flew for their seats, still hand-in-hand. The moment they disappeared from view, he felt a familiar presence beside him. Without craning for a glimpse, he quietly responded, “So. You decided to show up after all.” A quick pause, and he added, “Was Mew easy to coax into coming?”

“That is not my place to explain,” was the solemn answer, the voice rich and strong like how Ho-oh remembered it.

Finally turning his head, the bird acknowledged the beings at his side. He had not seen the feline in years, but nothing was really out of the ordinary in his appearance. Mewtwo still stood proud in place, tail curled behind him in tranquility. His bony arms remained at his sides, hands clenched in loose fists. The color was still visible even in the face, showing he was taking care of himself. Meeting his gaze briefly, Ho-oh wasn't surprised his eyes were hard and vibrant with knowledge as ever, though the stare was calm with decades of peace he had managed to find. Levitating close-by was his counterpart, tiny in contrast to her clone. She refused to look up at either of the two, preferring to keep her eyes on the ground. She had no shame, but her broken spirit caused her to retreat into her mind, forcing her to blank out and barricade herself from the world. By the looks of how attenuated she became and the wavering of her levitation, Mew still wasn't eating; how long ago she last ate, he couldn't tell. From what he knew about her physique and metabolism, she should be unable to hold herself up.

As though he had read his mind, Mewtwo serenely expressed, “When I went to fetch her, she had grown too weak to transport herself. She was lying in the Tree, awaiting death I assume.” A faint, rather protesting whimper came from the mentioned Legendary at the comment, though they could see in her pale eyes she wasn't subconsciously present. It was believed among the Legendaries that when Mew withdrew into her mind, she tuned out her surroundings. There was a chance she didn't hear a word.

Giving a slow, rather cross sigh, Ho-oh tilted his head to the trees. “Since you're here, we can get started.”

With a slow nod, the bipedal feline crossed into the thick wood, telepathically tugging Mew behind him. The once-grand phoenix deplorably watched the small cat bob in place, taking note of her limp tail skimming the grass as he followed the pair. It was a straight, short path to the clearing, into the dim sunlight and amidst the eyes of the Legends. Many of their gazes were on the frail Mew, saddened and fearful. A few were amazed at how she still managed to make it to the conference in such a state. Others pointed at Mewtwo in the meantime, noticing his own health with hint of suspicion. It was silent except for the quiet sobs of Latias, crimson and pearl down worn almost to uselessness, and golden eyes lacking the light of her carefree soul.

Mewtwo disregarded their stares as he led the tiny Legendary along, pausing at the smooth, even stones that were their proper seats, and propped her down. He continued to mentally hold her in place even after he sat down, but allowed her to slack slightly. She never bothered to take heed if at all, eyes distant and glazed over. Her surrounding peers took a long, worrying look before turning to the larger rock in the middle. It was Ho-oh's self-proclaimed seat, though as time went by he had allowed others to take his place when it came to announcements, attendance, or temporary leadership if he was unable to make it (which was rare in itself). Today, he allowed the counsel be led by Shaymin and instead filled her seat at the other end.

The tiny terrier was already in her place, choosing to take on her Sky Forme, as her Land Forme was too squeaky and quiet. Having once stood tall and proud, Shaymin's petal scarf had wilted into an unhealthy brown, the edges frayed. Her fur was matted and dusty, with her ears drooping past her chin. Ho-oh heard a quiet buzz through the attendees, but chose to ignore them as he nodded to her.

Casting her eyes about mournfully at what remained of the mighty Legendaries, she began in a hard voice: “Brethren and sisters, we have been called together because the unthinkable has happened. It's been rumored, if not yet declared, that we are to be in a world war. This morning, at approximately zero five hundred hours, the beloved region of Sinnoh had been mercilessly bombed by Orre.” A few gasped murmurs from those who hadn't heard the terrible news livened in small groups. Others bowed their heads in silent respect. Shaymin continued. “The damage done is monstrous and heart-breaking. It is believed thousands of humans and Pokémon have lost their lives in this attack. Thanks to a scoping of the area by Rayquaza and Giratina, we have assembled the damage reports.”

The gathering held their breaths as Shaymin closed her eyes in thought. She gave the account slowly and solemnly. “Judging by radiation percentage collected, the first of Orre's aircrafts flew over the south-western portion of Sinnoh. There were no major cities in that area, but they dropped one of their bombs either intentionally or through some freak accident. Believed to be the largest of the bombs, it landed on Twinleaf Town, destroying the entire community and its surrounding areas as follows: Sandgem Town; Jubilife City; a portion of Canalave City at the south-east section; Lake Verity.”

At the mention of the last location, Mesprit hung her head, covering her face with a hand. Her brothers each put a comforting arm around her shaking shoulders. A few others who knew of her home in the lake glanced over at the shivering fairy in empathy. Shaymin stole such a gaze in her direction before resuming. “The next two bombs were dropped around the same time, estimated at about five minutes after the first destruction. One landed into the heart of Eterna City, the other just at the outskirts of Hearthome City. The shock waves expanded to Mount Coronet where it has suffered major rock slides, cutting its elevation to half what it used to be. The Distortion World has some damage done to it, though thankfully Giratina wasn't harmed.”

The said Legendary scoffed, the battered, scarlet-spiked wings folding behind him. “Those bastards will pay for what they did,” he grumbled, voice echoing hauntingly into the distance, crimson eyes glaring in the hazy sunlight. “It's virtually impossible to make it irreversible.”

“And we're awfully sorry for what has happened,” the Gratitude Legendary acknowledged, bowing her head slightly.

“Damn right you are,” he snorted. “I haven't had anything happen there for centuries, not since Team Galactic dispersed and disappeared off the face of the earth. Serves them right for messing around with me. Bastards had it coming...” Heatran, who happened to be seated closest to Giratina, scooted a little ways toward Palkia, who in turn shot a skeptical but wary look toward the dragon. Others shuddered from the menacing airy tone, not wanting to hear any further details.

Shaymin cleared her throat. “The last bomb detonated between Sunyshore City and the Sinnoh Pokémon League, completely destroying the Victory Road and the two landmarks. The Elite Four, the Champion, and anyone else there at the time were killed when the building crushed them when it fell. It's been noted that this is one of the reasons why Sinnoh is gearing towards war.”

“Wha-ah-oh, wait-wait-wait, hold the phone,” Deoxys sputtered out, waving his hands around for attention. “You're saying the whole world is going to war just because some important figureheads of Sinnoh, or more precisely the 'Elite Four', were killed as a result of the bombings?”

“You can say that, Deoxys, even though I said it's Sinnoh's reason.”

He dryly laughed for a few seconds, shaking his head. “Wow. I mean, just... wow. This is ridiculous.” Another laugh, forcing him to barrel forward and slap a palm on his knee. “These—these humans and their political agendas! They would rather go to war over four people rather than a whole nation?”

“Deoxys, thousands of people and Pokémon died because of this!” Cresselia blurted out, feeling ready to go into hysterics. The crescents on her back gave a weak glimmer in the light as she leaned past a startled Darkrai for a better look. “This is why they're going to war! It's a catastrophe!”

“Oh, come on! If we were to be bombed right now and only a few of us died, would the world go into a world war just because of that?”

“Oh, most definitely! We're important! So why not?”

“Black market importance,” the alien smugly remarked, more to himself than out loud.

The moon swan took offense, gritting her teeth and shooting back, “Well, what makes you special, then? You haven't done your so-called duties since you came here!”

“Says the broad who hasn't left her island in decades.”

“That's different!”

“You know, Cresselia, he does have a point,” Darkrai mentioned sheepishly, pushing her back for room and to end the increasing argument.

She bucked him away. “You stay out of this!”

“Oy, let the phantom speak,” Deoxys came to his defense. “What makes you think you can silence him?”

“This is between you and me! Don't you dare bring Darkrai into this! Now answer my question! Why are you special?!”

“Same reason you are, toots,” he cheekily said.

“WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!”

Shaymin immediately piped up, standing straight and preparing herself to launch forward. “Cresselia, Deoxys, please! Can't this wait until after the meeting? We still have important business to discuss!”

“And part of that business is to assign this space freak a different position!”

There was a small chorus of “ooh”s from a few males who took interest in the quarreling. Rayquaza thumped the ground in appeal with his tail, giving off a roar of encouragement. Even though he and Deoxys made up their dislike for each other centuries ago, the two still carried a rivalry that would temporarily flare up over carping ridicules or gestures deemed offensive. One would swear they were itching for a fight whether with each other or not. Cresselia was doing his dirty work for him picking a fight with Deoxys.

The reproached Legendary glared icily at the female, one of his arms morphing into his dual-colored flagellates. “You dare say that again, Cress?” he darkly challenged.

Craning her neck, she replied smoothly, “I'd say more, but I am a lady.”

“You have a lot of nerve challenging me,” Deoxys continued, ignoring the increasing hoots and warnings to continue the transformation into his Attack Mode. His arms finished their formation into whips just as his body structure slimmed, his head beginning to protrude horns.

In an effort to try lessening the tension, though more out of an impulse, Darkrai seized one of the swan's thin wings and yanked her to the ground, holding her there with a clawed hand. She gave a shout of surprise, struggling under his grip to break free and lunge for the alien. Her psychic energy she emitted in her anger was repelled by his Dark-type aura, even countering it so she zapped herself. “RELEASE ME, DARKRAI!” she screamed out a demand as her eyes blazed a hot pink. “LET ME RIP THAT ALIEN SCUM TO BITS!”

“Cresselia, what has gotten into you?” he asked her through his astonishment as he pushed her back down. “Why are you letting him get to you like this?”

“DARKRAI, I MEAN IT! LET ME TAKE ON THAT SON OF A BI—” Cresselia's voice abruptly gave way, leaving her to gape dumbly up at her phantom friend, eyes dimming to their normal state. Deoxys stared down at her in confusion over her sudden silence. The crowd's buzz of excitement died down to crane in for a look. Shaymin was flabbergasted, descending back onto her rock and letting her ears drop. No one dared speak out for a few moments in fear it would trigger her anger and cause her to lash out again. It was only when she murmured an “Oh, my” did the first Legendary risk letting out a breath he held. She spoke once more. “Oh, my... I almost... what in the world did I...? I took it too far?”

“False alarm,” Lugia sighed in relief, sitting back in place. He shook his head slowly, raising a wing to pinch his brows. “Dear Arceus, what has gotten into me? Cheering on for a fight...”

Darkrai backed away to allow Cresselia to rise, avoiding her gaze by hanging his head and crossing his arms. When she looked at Deoxys, he had already commutated to his normal form, returning to his seat without another word. Frowning, the swan sadly glanced around at her peers, apologetic in her movements. “What got into me?” she whispered, mainly to herself as she took her place next to her counterpart. “I could never harm another being...”

Shooting the terrier a look, Ho-oh waited for the Legendaries to recede from their stirred state before rising. He calmly walked to the middle, pausing at the front of the rock and facing the others. An uncomfortable silence hung in the atmosphere, all eyes on the phoenix before them. Lifting his head to stand as boldly as possible, he fanned a wing in the disturbed female's direction.

“What we have witnessed here, brethren and sisters, is a sign of the world's impact on our part,” he announced. “One of our most gentle members has begun to release the beast that threatens to consume us all. The world's demons are upon us, but it's up to the individual to allow them to possess or to continue battling until the end. It's fortunate on Cresselia's part that she is surrounded by friends at this time, but what if no one was around her? What then?

“Legendaries, this is a dangerous time to be cocky. We cannot afford to fight with one another. Your idiotic rivalries have to end now like they should have centuries ago.” He noticed Groudon and Kyogre side-glancing at each other from where they stood (or in the whale's case, half-submerged in the lake that rested off a ways). “As of today, no one is allowed to return home without being accompanied, if you haven't been already. Siblings shall share the same resting place. Friends shall be neighbors. Rivals shall be friends. Make up your differences and find other ways to get along. While the whole world may be going to war, we must not be part of that war. As protectors of this world, we must be the example.” With a curt nod, Ho-oh briskly walked back to his seat, giving Shaymin back the floor.

She backed up his command by exclaiming, “Hear, hear! All those in favor say 'aye'!”

Taken aback by the phoenix's short speech, none of the Legendaries could find their voice to ratify. They instead raised a hand or showed signs of approval by a simple special attack released into the sky. Even though all was accounted for, Shaymin still asked, “Are there any opposed?” When none came, she nodded and said, “May Arceus have mercy on us all.”

There came a cry of “Amen!” from the middle, recognized as Jirachi's energetic tone. A few of his surrounding peers gaped at his random reaction, knowing he hadn't spoken a word in years, though Latias cried out happily and gave him a hug (he was quickly rescued by Latios).

The terrier smiled. “Amen indeed. Since I trust each one of us knows who to pair up with without any arguing, we'll go to our next topic of interest. I have been receiving reports of unusual weather abnormalities across the globe, mainly in the seas. There have been more casualties at sea in the past few decades than the entire century. Kyogre, Lugia, you two are more capable of causing these storms than anyone else. Do you two have any explanation as to why this is occurring?”

“No, ma'am,” Kyogre called out after raising his head from the water, a tired Manaphy resting on top. “I haven't left the ocean trenches in years.” The Seafaring Legendary shook his head in agreement.

“Yeah, same here, I've really just come out of the water for the meeting,” the water dragon admitted, shrugging. “And besides, even if we were responsible for this, it wouldn't be this dangerous, or widespread for that matter.”

Shaymin chewed on her bottom lip, scrunching her face in a thoughtful expression. “Strange. I'll agree with you on that, you two aren't the type to go around drowning people or creating these powerful storms just for the heck of it. Well, could this be the same reason we're also having frequent powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in one region after another? Groudon? Entei? Heatran? You three have similar explanations?”

All three nodded and shrugged. Heatran was the one who spoke up about it. “Honestly, Shaymin, I don't think any one of us Legendaries have any control over these natural disasters.”

“Besides,” Entei piped up, “Suicune here can tell you the time I got sick and couldn't roar properly for the life of me even though a few volcanoes have erupted during that season.”

His sister groaned, putting a paw on her snout in embarrassment. “Arceus, Entei, not that story again,” she huffed.

Raikou snickered beside her. “Com'mon, sis! You tell it better than I do, and it's funny when you say it, only because you were stuck with him the whole season.”

“Don't push it.”

“Well, let us first finish the meeting,” Shaymin suggested quickly. “And Heatran, you are making a good point there. We all, more or less, deal with our surrounding environments, sometimes even having that elemental power, but I can truthfully say we don't always command that power. Ever since the world breathed life, these things have always happened, with or without us. But everyone's growing concerned about this and are wanting some answers. I'm not saying they're all pointing fingers at us, but since their belief is that we are the ones that can command similar destruction, they may think we have something to do with this. In my opinion, I think the world's tilting slightly more on its axis due to gravitational pull by the sun, but that's debatable.” She cast her eyes about in the crowd waiting for any loose comments before continuing on. “All right, Celebi? What's the report about the earth's vegetation? Have any more forests disappeared?”

The addressed Legendary lifted himself into the air, bowing in place. Ho-oh and others took notice of his pale-brown skin, his antennae and the extension of his head wilting. “They are still flourishing and blooming healthily. However, Ilex Forest is scheduled to be uprooted for development.”

Gasps and murmurs hummed for a few minutes before the lead speaker said her part. “Since when? I thought Azalea Town was against this?”

Celebi sadly dropped his eyes. “They reportedly signed the contract last Saturday when the last protector died. His son—that city bastard—immediately called the developers and had a meeting that very day to sign the papers. No one has come forward to defend the forest, if any of them care. The bulldozers will start mowing through sometime this month before the foundation can be built.” Without another word, he sat down, clenching his fists in silence.

“Thank you, Celebi. Our hearts go out to you and the inhabitants.” She bowed her head in a moment of silence before lifting her gaze to her right. “Well,” she sighed, “as this is a concern among the majority of us, we would like to hear the progress on Mew. How is she doing?”

Everyone's eyes and heads moved for the direction of the feline in question. Mewtwo shifted under the gazes of the Legendaries, not that they were concentrating on him, but more from the fact he had to answer Shaymin's question. He brought himself to stand up, locking eyes with her. “As you may have noticed, or not,” he referred to the audience, “Mew is incapable of independently sitting upright. For those who are unable to tell the difference, allow me to demonstrate.”

Unflinchingly, his mind immediately released its telepathic hold on her. From beside him, a small “thump” sounded seconds afterward along with light, horrified gasps when Mew dropped forward to the grass below. “OH, DEAR ARCEUS, SHE'S DEAD!” was the scream of Latias, who left her seat to the aid of her friend. Latios immediately followed, grabbing his sister before she reached the fallen Legendary.

“Leave her be,” Mewtwo cautioned, turning his head to meet the frightened wide-eyed stare of the small female. She backed away into her brother, covering her mouth to quiet her sobs as her eyes fell on the motionless body of her friend. Mew laid there with no recognition of her fall, the only sign of life being her slow breathing. His vision returning to an awed Shaymin, he psychically raised his counterpart back to her seat, the scene making it seem like she was a limp doll being placed on a shelf, her head still hung and slacking. “She has been unresponsive for quite some time,” he stated, ignoring their terrified stares. “It is as if she has lost her will to live. I found her like this, slowly withering away in the heart of the Tree of Beginning. She has withdrawn enough to not take heed of her surroundings. I doubt Mew knows about us, let alone her location.”

“Is she eating?” came the next concern.

“It is apparent she has not had proper nutrients in some time. My estimate is two months.”

“It could be longer than that,” Ho-oh pointed out. “I last saw her about five months ago. She didn't eat then.”

“She wouldn't eat when I checked up on her several months ago,” Celebi countered, folding his arms. “Anyone else visit her around that time?”

Latias slowly raised a shaky hand. “I-I, uh... saw her... It was her birthday... she had nothing.”

Mewtwo shook his head, growing skeptical. “This is improbable. Even as a Legendary, she should not be alive unless her metabolism is lower than that of a Slakoth's.”

“That's not the case, right?” Shaymin asked.

“Correct.”

There fell an eerie silence in the clearing as the Legendaries continued to stare unblinkingly at Mew. Each of them recited a prayer in their hearts, growing teary-eyed as the reality of the fallen cat became more prominent. They began to see more clearly the bone structure against the unkempt fur, at how lifeless her tail appeared. None of them wished to see what her eyes truly looked like, wanting to keep the memory of them and the reputation of Mew pure. Latias found her way back to her seat by Latios, grasping his hand tightly and averting her gaze to the grass.

Sighing, the Sky Warrior nodded toward the clone. “Thank you, Mewtwo.” After he sat back down, she added, “Are there any other concerns or reports we should know about before we adjourn?”

There was another silent moment before Rayquaza cleared his throat in the back. “Um... do I really have to go back to the ozone layer?” he wondered, fiddling his claws. “I'm not too sure how many of you know this, but there's too much crap up there, and it hasn't been thinning out. As much as I like the view of the earth and space and all that, I can't stand seeing this hunk of tin cross my vision or bump into me every few minutes. I may have been taking out my anger on them and trying to clear my home out, but either they just keep sending more or it's only getting worse.”

“Or it could be just you,” Deoxys muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. Darkrai instinctively grasped onto Cresselia in the chance she would snap again. She just gave him a concerned look and gently pulled away.

Shaymin wasn't aware of it. “We figured you were the cause of all the satellites burning through the atmosphere, but we can honestly say we had no clue you were very uncomfortable up there. You should've said something earlier.”

“Well, gee, I never get around to it,” he grumbled. “It's really only once in a blue moon or two that I come down here anyway. Dorkxys is really the only one I ever talk to, I figured he would've told someone by now.” The addressed Legendary turned to glare at the use of his insulting nickname, but Rayquaza either ignored it or was unmindful at the moment.

“Well, you're welcome to return to Sky Tower at any time,” the terrier said, gesturing in the direction the building was located. “It hasn't been visited or destroyed by a human in centuries. It's still high up enough you won't be spotted, but low enough it's comfortable living. Unless you prefer another place?”

“Sky Tower will be all right. I miss that hunk of junk anyway.”

She smiled. “Perfect. Anything else?” She waited for an outburst of any kind before her ears straightened out. “All right, then. The meeting will be adjourned indefinitely. If something comes up, Ho-oh or I will call for another conference. In the meantime, brethren and sisters, let's keep our thoughts and prayers on the future of the world. May Arceus redeem us from our solemn hour. Dismissed.”

“No one leaves without a partner!” Ho-oh called out, waving a wing before the first Legendary stood up. “If there's one short, Shaymin and I will take on that role.”

Slowly but surely, the guardians rose from their seats and asked a close friend or even the one next to them if they could follow them home. Those who were asked gave the blessed permission, though most secretly wished someone else came up to them instead. Jirachi, as much as he wanted to go with the Lake Trio, was asked by Latias (more like pleaded with anyway) to live with her and Latios. Not one to say no, he surrendered and allowed the female dragon to hug him ecstatically.

After watching the three leave, once the Wish Maker was again rescued, Entei suddenly turned to Suicune before she could rise. “Sis, I don't wanna go with Ho-oh. Can I come with you?”

She groaned, throwing her head back. “Oh, for heaven's sake, Entei.” A heaving sigh, and she gave in, “Fine. But I don't want this turning into another care-taker season, okay?”

“Oh, yeah, you have to tell everyone about the time when I was sick!” he blurted out a little too loudly, bouncing in place.

Suicune cringed when a few heads turned in her direction. Deoxys had grown interested. “What happened there?” he smirked, folding his arms.

“Do I really have to?” she growled. “I've been trying to forget it ever happened.”

“Okay, okay, it goes like this!” Raikou butted in, grinning brightly much to her chagrin. “So, Entei caught this really bad cough that turned out to be pneumonia or laryngitis, we really don't know, so every time he talked or roared—tried to anyway—he'd croak. But after each croak, he'd squeak and spit fire in whatever direction he was facing. Well, Suicune here loves hanging out in forests, and so she had caught the attention of many people all because of these little brushfires she had to douse out. But there was the one time Entei squeaked while they were at a lake she was purifying.”

By this time, a small crowd had gathered around, blocking off any escape Suicune had planned on making. She tried to hide her face in her mane, darkly murmuring to herself for the purpose of drowning out her brother's voice. He obliviously continued his gushing. “As it turns out, while Suicune is purifying water, there's this rather temporary flammable chemical secreted from her paws that is released into the water to help clean it. So when Entei spat fire at the lake, half the surface went up in flames!” He paused while a wave of whooping went through a majority of the spectators, grinning excitedly. “Oh, my Arceus, you wouldn't believe how many burn patients had to be treated that day! Even the Nurse Joy there couldn't believe it when all these fish Pokémon were rushed into the emergency room by a small group of campers who just so happened to be there and saw the whole thing happen! She was all 'OMIGAWD' and, according to reports, actually fainted at the amount of her many patients. They had to call in another Nurse Joy to complete the task!”

The listeners roared at the imagery, a couple buckling over. Azelf, while a smile was on his face, was focused more on the muttering Suicune. “But wait, isn't this more embarrassing for Entei?” he pointed out. “I mean, he caught the lake on fire.”

“But Suicune was the one cleaning it! That's the funny part! But what makes it funnier was that because the campers were too stupid to get a good look, the police classified it as arson. To this day, the 'culprits' have yet to be caught!”

Darkrai surprisingly gave Entei a slap on the back, laughing heartily. “You, sir, need to get sick more often. I'd do anything to see that happen. Hey,” and he snapped his fingers before pointing, “you think she still gets nightmares?”

“Entei, Raikou, we're going,” she barked in interference, glaring at the phantom and a still guffawing Deoxys. “I was supposed to be purifying a lake today upon Celebi's request. We'll be lucky to get there in time to at least clean half of the lake if the human children haven't arrived there yet.”

“Hey, I'm tagging along!” the alien called out, reaching out a hand while bending in half to catch his breath. “A-Any chance of a cold today, Entei?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.” He was whacked in the head by his sister before she disappeared in a blur. “Do'h, wait, Suicune! We don't know where the lake is!” Entei lifted an apologetic paw in farewell to the others before bumping Raikou's shoulder to urge him on. After the electric tiger nodded at the crowd, he and his brother followed suit, the bushes and tall grass rustling in passing.

The Time Travel Legendary rolled his eyes from where he levitated, shaking his head. “Whatever, Deoxys. It's really once in a blue moon that Entei gets sick. Besides, the closest to seeing lakes catch on fire is whenever Groudon sneezes. Once you've seen that, you've seen it all.”

With a pout, the disappointed extraterrestrial left, shooting off in Rayquaza's direction. Celebi chose to team up with the Lake Trio siblings, who accepted him into their group before they teleported away. Many others left with their own siblings, or went ahead to go with their rivals like Ho-oh had suggested. He and Shaymin remained on Mirage Island until only Mewtwo and Mew were left. The clone had remained in place to watch the others depart, waiting for someone to take Mew with them. Many of the Legendaries clearly wanted to bring her along, but they instead gave her pitying looks, and few shed silent tears. Inwardly, he groaned: he was stuck with her until the next meeting. The two may have gotten along over the years, even going as far as to say they were friends, but Mewtwo didn't want to have anything to do with her at this point in time.

Ho-oh, of course, wasn't going to let it pass. “Mewtwo, you know you're not allowed to be dismissed until you're paired up.”

“I am very aware of that,” he said, a hint of a snappy tone in his voice.

The phoenix frowned. “You don't have to be with Mew if you aren't comfortable having her be a roommate, you might say.”

Mewtwo leered up at him. “I am not a child. Why are you speaking to me as such?”

He spread out his wings as a shrug. “I'm just saying, Mewtwo, one of us can take care of her, but you'll have to leave with the other. This isn't a time to brood over differences. As we speak, the world's teetering on the decision of a world war, with us possibly being dragged into it. We cannot afford to continue fighting with one another if it means being like them.”

Shaymin stepped forward, laying a paw on Mew's knee. “I can take her,” she volunteered. “I have some herbs that can heal her. She'll be up within a few—”

“Then I will take her with me.” The clone sharply stood up before the two, locking eyes with the Sky Guardian before him. “I do not wish to be with either of you. Honestly, I prefer going alone. But if you insist, then I will give in to your demand just this one time. And only this once.” His eyes illuminated glaringly to stress his seriousness, though his answer managed to please Ho-oh.

Mewtwo glanced down at his languished counterpart. It was a peculiar question, seeing as all these years, Mew was strong enough to be independent and not afraid to be alone. But after watching her fade into the barely conscious being she was now, it was apparent she became incapable of living by herself and still expected to live another night. Judging by her limp, bony features and shallow breathing, she was ready to drop dead at any given moment. The thought of healing herbs being administered to her in this feeble state was fatally sound. With nothing in her stomach for months (unless they weren't consumable, though most herbs were), the shock of medicine filling her up was more likely to kill her than heal.

Wrapping his tail around her to pull her closer, Mewtwo turned his attention back to the phoenix. “She will. I will make sure of it.”

Ho-oh bowed his head, making the feline blink. “Thank you, Mewtwo. This is an important task, I hope you realize.”

Still taken aback about the formal gesture, his response took a few seconds for Mewtwo to register and then answer. “Somewhat. I am familiar about her role in this world mainly through facts and legend.”

Ears spreading out, Shaymin herself bowed in place, kneeling at his feet. “Then do everything in your power to make sure she becomes well again. We're entrusting you with this great task.”

Shifting his weight, Mewtwo scooped up Mew with an arm. She lay peacefully inert against his chest, eyes closed. The three looked upon her as if she had passed into the next life, a fact that would have been true had she not taken an irregular, deep breath. To their relief, it wasn't her last.

Ho-oh averted his eyes from the fallen Legendary, casting them to the sky. “We still have time. Let us depart until needed.” He paused to let out a quiet sigh as his eyes closed. “Please, Mewtwo, do your very best to bring Mew back. We cannot lose her, not at this present time.”

“I promise you it shall be done.”

When the great phoenix craned his neck to look back, Mewtwo had already departed where he stood, Mew gone with him. Shaymin backed up, eyes threatening to brim with tears, head bent in a silent prayer. Sighing, he raised his vision back to the heavens.

“May Arceus be with us all.”

*~*~*

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I'll update weekly up until we reach the chapter still in the works, which hopefully it shouldn't get to that point. But if it does, then updates will be irregular.

Any form of reviews are welcome. I want to get to know my audience better, so any critiques/reviews/concerns will be highly appreciated.

“It's calling from within the heart
I always want to dream cheerful dreams
Sadness can never be counted but
I will be able to see you on the other side”
-- “Itsumo Nando Demo” (translated), Kimura Yumi, Spirited Away

*~*~*

It was the only other place he knew where Mew could heal in peace. The Tree, despite it being her home, had been growing chaotic at the present time with small disturbances. Mewtwo figured that during such an event, she had to give up some of her own power to return it to normal. And with her being weak enough as it is, one more power surge would surely kill her, and soon afterward the Tree and the world (at least according to legend). As a nomad, Mewtwo knew the best and the worst places on the planet. Unfortunately, with the world unstable as it is, some of the more peaceful areas were within a volcanic range or known fault, or where any humans living close by were too dangerous to even lay eyes on. They had nowhere else to rest.

Mewtwo hadn't set foot in the cavern in centuries, not since he and the other clones had gone their separate ways, and when he permanently disappeared from the memories of his enemies. Since then, the underground lake of Mount Quena had flourished lavishly. Though the only sunlight available was from a hole in the high cavern ceiling, vegetation was very verdant and sweet-smelling. The Bug Pokémon living there were among the most healthy known in the Pokémon world. The larvae raised by the waters grew up into beautiful creatures, their strength and size abnormal for their species.

It was a risk Mewtwo chose to take when he abruptly and calmly teleported into the place he once called home. Pokémon around him jumped back in retaliation, a few rising in position to strike the intruder. He only remained in place, casting his eyes about the underground miracle. A familiar ambient aura was noticeable, but a heavy burden in the realization none of the Bug Pokémon were used to strangers smothered it. The closest one to him, a Scyther larger than he, brandished its razor-sharp weapons in a warning posture, scraping them together as it leered. The intimidation didn't bother the clone, who only took a glance at the forearms before slowly looking around his surroundings.

“Scy, scyther!” it cautioned, swiftly beating its wings until it buzzed angrily, bringing up a slight wind. By its demanding tone, it was possible it was the alpha of the swarm of Bugs. “Trespasser, leave immediately!”

Mewtwo only gave a solemn nod in its direction. “I come here only to seek shelter and peace,” he explained, his voice of reason causing some of the Bugs to shrink back. “This was once my temporary home. I am the one responsible for transporting the lake underground. I am unsure how history works among you, nor do I know if ancestry is important to your species, but your ancestors knew me. This place was once disturbed by human activity. The courage that now runs in your veins was what motivated them to save their home. I merely moved the lake away from human discovery so it would flourish without interruption. It never occurred to me that centuries later their descendants would continue to live here and in such perfect health. But I am not here to reminisce,” he admitted when the Scyther lowered its arms. “I came here so she will be healed without disturbance or stress.”

A slight stir held against his chest caught the mantis' eye. When it stepped forward, the insects saw it safe to approach the newcomer and gingerly came forward for a peek of his companion. They beheld their most powerful Legendary weakened before them, unconscious and starved, her head almost hanging off the crook of Mewtwo's arm. It wasn't long before they began to give off sorrowful cries, bowing their heads. The Scyther blinked in disbelief before its hardened stare melted into a melancholy look at the sight.

Mewtwo was curious, yet dismayed, about how the Pokémon were reacting to Mew's condition, figuring they were showing a sign of remorse or were praying. They made no actual words he could understand. Whatever it was, other surrounding insects were perking up at the commotion and crawling or flying over to investigate. Within a few feet of the feline, once they spotted Mew, they joined in. Soon, the whole cavern echoed with the chorus of mourning, and Mewtwo hoped that it couldn't be heard on the surface.

Spreading out its arms, Scyther caused that the Bugs back away for room, and then turned back to him. Deep in its eyes, hints of tears were beginning to form. Mewtwo couldn't help but stare back up until it broke the silence by crying out to its neighbors, “Our goddess is deathly ill! May Heaven spare her!”

Goddess? That was what Pokémon believed about Mew, as well as the other Legendaries? The concept was new for the clone, who only knew of the human interpretation of what the Legendaries were. Never before had he heard of the others boasting about being gods, or even mention the term. A respect for Arceus, possibly? If so, why would He make demigods if He was the only god, then? As interesting as the topic was, it was only making Mewtwo more puzzled about it. For all he knew, it was more based on opinion than them knowing the facts.

Shaking his head to clear the question from his mind, his attention returned to the gathering of Bugs surrounding him. They were still continuing their cries, but it was quieter since the Scyther made its announcement. It then bowed gracefully, addressing in a softer voice, “Our apologies, Mew's keeper. You are welcome to stay for our goddess' health.”

Pleased about the apologetic welcome, Mewtwo returned the respectful posture. “Thank you. I promise you we shall do our share of anything you may desire of us, and leave the moment she is well again.”

A curt nod, and the Scyther left without another word, signaling to the insect Pokémon they could go back to what they were doing previously. A few dismissed themselves to do so, but many more were concerned about Mew than their lifestyle. Mewtwo was slightly awed at how persistent they were in waiting for any sign of life from their beloved Legendary, but he didn't let it bother him. They were worried, he understood that. He was now beginning to think coming to Mount Quena was the best decision after all; the Pokémon at the Tree never bothered to check up on their guardian.

Casting his eyes about the familiar landscape, he noticed the abundance of trees that weren't here when he was last in the very spot he was in. One happened to be just a few steps behind him where hanging from the branches, ample Kakuna were staring at the back of his head the whole time. Was he more picky, he would've gone to find another tree or a more secluded area, though the seemingly-empty looks from the pupae were more focused on the rosy cat he was holding. Even during metamorphosis, they knew who she was.

Walking up to the basswood, Mewtwo knelt to lay Mew up against the trunk, gently sitting her up so she was steady in her state. Not one budge he rocked her with stirred her from unconsciousness. The leaves' shadows blanketing her made the convincing appearance she had passed on, forcing him to reposition her into more light to prevent any controversy amongst the Bugs. In the meantime, most of the said Pokémon had scattered themselves to other trees and shrubs for food, bringing their findings to the pair. A modest variety was piled up by the bipedal cat, many being sweet-flavored berries such as Pecha and Magost. A few exotic fruits were added to the mix, among them the rare Enigma berry Mewtwo thought couldn't grow in high elevations, let alone underneath a mountain. He thanked those who took the time to look and even sacrifice some of their delicacies for them, mainly for Mew. She needed them more than he did.

One of the seekers, a young Ledian, paused in her search for a closer look. Gazing upon what was remaining of the Legendary, she frowned at the sight of her frail body. “Sir? Will she be all right?” was the worrisome question.

“I honestly cannot say at this present time,” he replied, glancing down at his counterpart. “All I know for certain is that she should not even be alive.”

Mew suddenly twitched. It was a vague movement, not one of great concern, but it was noticeable. Mewtwo only scowled. The spasm was as though she was trying to wake herself up from a terrible nightmare, yet it was too weak to be felt. “Pitiful,” he muttered to himself, slowly shaking his head. “This is what you have demoralized yourself into. You are regretting it a little too late.”

Picking up one of the numerous Magost berries, he held it at the tip of his fingers, glowering at the tough skin. There wasn't a chance Mew was capable of swallowing it whole, let alone properly eat it. She may have forgotten to chew after her many months of starvation, and her jaw muscles were more likely atrophied to even open her mouth if just slightly. Looking over to find the Ledian had left, he gave a slow, disapproving sigh at the realization there was no other choice. As revolting as it sounded, chewing for her was the only way to get it down her throat.

Mewtwo hesitated, gritting his teeth at the thought until he was sure his jaw would lock up. The more he fretted over the idea, the less it became appealing. Then the images of Ho-oh and Shaymin came to mind, and at how they offered to take the responsibility into their own hands (or wings). Whether it was offering healing herbs or whatever they could find, would they have done the same thing?

It seemed so. And of course, chewed-up berry was more nutritious to an empty belly than any crushed or chewed-up herb would be. That was really the one reason he took it upon himself to see to Mew's recovery. Shaymin may be a kind soul and a wonderful healer, but there were moments she wasn't very bright in her actions. Giving a very weak, empty Mew herbs before food would be disastrous, and she would never forgive herself. If he screwed it up, the punishment would be harsh, but he'd at least get over it. As friendly as Mew had been to him, there were days he wished she had just left him alone in peace. Possibly, then, his early torment of her would've been a stage he'd gotten over.

Taking a deep breath, Mewtwo bit down on the firm berry, taking a good-sized proportion Mew wouldn't choke on and thoroughly chewed. He flinched at the tangy juices, and quickly took his thoughts away from the despised flavor to whatever popped into his head. The voice of Raikou from however-many-minutes-ago telling the dumb story about a lake catching fire distracted him enough he was truly thankful he got that image in his mind's eye. It was actually funny that a body of water would suddenly go up in flames all because Entei spoke or roared or whatever it was he was trying to do. At the next gathering, he'll have to thank the thunder beast for that vivid story.

Despite it not being a favored berry, Mewtwo was finding it tempting to swallow what he had. So he turned his attention to Mew, lifting her chin with his free hand. Leaning forward, he connected his lips to hers, forcibly dropping open her mouth to transfer the softened berry into the cavity, quickly pulling away when all of it was disposed.

It didn't take long before her gag reflex kicked in. “Swallow it,” he snapped in a demanding tone, glaring at her face when her eyes scrunched tightly. “We are not going to tolerate this while you are in this condition. You are to swallow it or die.”

It was painful and frustrating watching the attempt of Mew's body involuntarily try to reject the food while it forcibly wretched itself into working order. By some miracle or a tiny state of consciousness, Mewtwo couldn't tell how, she managed to swallow her first morsel in months. He chose to wait for any signs she would retch it up, then resumed when all was calm again. This time, all he focused on was getting Mew on the road to recovery. The more times he pushed the food through her teeth, the less repulsive it became and the more patient he was with her—somewhat. By the full consumption of the second berry, it was a routine he vowed to finish. The Bug Pokémon that were searching scattered when they saw everything was in good hands, but Mewtwo had since put them from his mind.

Having finished the first bite of the third fruit, he latched loosely to her lips, shoving it through to the back of the throat. There then came a small moan and a stir as Mew grew conscious, taking a deep breath through her open mouth. At this moment, however, Mewtwo was still connected to her, blocking any air she may have tried to suck into her airway, causing her to choke. He immediately pulled away, and she coughed violently, shaky hands clutching her throat. She had swallowed by then, but had done so wrongly it was enough to bring alertness to the Legendary.

Between uneven, gasped breaths and the harsh coughs, Mew was able to open her eyes to the world. Her vision watered while she regained her bearings and gulped down the needed oxygen, hazily staring at the figure of Mewtwo before her. Through her rapid blinking to clear the tears, she recognized the familiarity of his stare, amethyst irises watching her every move. “M... Mewtwo?” she managed to choke out, hand caressing her throat.

“Mew.” He nodded, but she interpreted it as a mockery rather than a greeting. It was as though he was waiting for her to speak just so he could identify her. Whatever that meant—her mind was still everywhere at once.

The rosy feline took this time to slowly look around her surroundings, to be reintroduced to the world she had neglected. The place was well-known to her, the glistening lake behind her counterpart a give-away, but Mew couldn't remember the exact name of her location. Whether it was because everything was underground or her memory was just foggy, even she didn't know. Frowning, she muttered, “Where... where am I?”

“Mount Quena. Or at least underneath it. We are to be here for the time being.” He bit once more into the fruit.

She minutely tilted her head when her vision crossed over to him. She stared with an almost blank look at his moving jaw. “What for?” was her next breath.

As cruel as it was, Mewtwo wanted to laugh at how she was oblivious to everything about herself. She had indeed become a pathetic creature, it was a wonder he even bothered helping her. His thoughts on her recovery, in the meantime, strictly kept him in line enough he only let out a huff at her little question. “For your safety. Now open up.”

“Wait... what are you... what did you sa—” Mew's inquiry was cut off when her clone held her chin down and put his mouth to hers. As swift as it was and the transferred berry was immediately swallowed, the sudden action made her head click, causing her to gasp and shrink before him. He raised a perplexed brow at her behavior, watching her eyes flicker to life with a horrified expression. She shivered under his gaze, scooting backward away from him and grasping onto the tree.

Peculiar first sign of recovery.

The two stared at each other without blinking, the start of a game neither wanted to lose. Mew remained squished up against the trunk, claws embedded into the bark as she tried to steady her quaking. Mewtwo still held the berry in his fingers, arms crossed across his chest as he looked down upon his counterpart, his eyes fixed into hers with a tone of dissatisfaction and relief. He wasn't pleased she was wanting far away from him, but was yet proud to know he was soon freed from caring for her. It was indeed a quick recovery from a long period of starvation. His theory was the berries had been feeding from Clarity Lake and thus absorbed its healing minerals. He recalled the last few minutes and the hour he had found her in the Tree. She had been really pale, and so out of focus it felt like she was in a comatose state. Now as he looked upon her, the color was returning to her face, the eyes flaring up with a sense of awareness and emotion, and her body was regaining its strength. It truly was a remarkable thing, almost unnatural.

Mew was the first to speak, splitting the silence. “Wh... What was that for?”

The whisper was rather harsh, almost spitting out venom. He couldn't help but feel the twitch of a smirk at his lips. Her personality hadn't changed since she had last spoke. She still retained her self-esteem after all. “I just saved your life,” he smugly answered, jutting out his chin a little. “This has been your first meal in many, many months. You are very lucky to even breathe, let alone digest.” Mewtwo tossed the rest of the berry into his mouth and chewed. “I am even surprised at how much strength you managed to recover.”

She continued to glower, slowly shaking her head if just a little. “I was talking about... what you just did. A-A minute ago, you... what did you...?”

He gave a short, wry laugh. “You mean this?” And the clone quickly took hold of her chin, attaching to her lips then shoving the half-chewed berry into her mouth.

He almost didn't get it in. The very moment their lips touched, Mew struggled to shake him off, digging her fingers into his face and pushing with what little might she had. She nearly spat out the morsel when she felt it slide against her tongue, but Mewtwo still had a hold on her and yanked her head back, forcing her to swallow it. Whether or not the remains of the berry had given her the strength needed, she managed to shove him away, even delivering a kick to his midriff. “How DARE you!” she screamed, wiping at her mouth. “How dare you! What the bloody hell did you do that for?!”

As confusing as it was, he was angry toward the small feline, at her depreciation for him saving her life. He had to get over the thought of mouth-to-mouth transfer of chewed-up food in the middle of doing so, and she saw it as an offense. It was an insult to him, but also to her. He could have broken the promise to Ho-oh and let her die, or to avoid the whole thing, had given her to him or Shaymin, to let their mistakes not stir him in the least. He had that choice, and chose to instead care for her in a risky but safe environment. As much as he wanted to yell at her, to tell her the reasons he did such a thing, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Mewtwo didn't know why. Pride, blinding rage, whatever was holding him back kept him from saying so. He could only glare back into her flaming sapphire eyes, matching her anger.

With a sniff, he stood up. “I can see you will not be needing my help after all,” he noted, turning his back on her.

“No, I do not!” she snapped, spitting off to the side. “I can make it on my own.”

“Then why wait several months before you decided to eat again?” came the retort. “Why decide to become weak to the point you could barely even move? Why?”

Taking a glance, he caught her freezing in place, eyes averting to the pile of berries. A small smile of sweet victory grew on his face when she hesitantly picked one up only to clench her mouth shut. She stared at the fruit anxiously for a moment before bringing herself to glimpse up at Mewtwo. “I-I... Well... it's none of your business,” she stammered, scowling and returning her gaze back to the berry. He recognized it as a Lum, recalling from memory it was her favorite berry. “It doesn't concern you.” She silenced herself, frowning at the touch of rough skin, skimming the tips of her claws on the surface.

“Are you going to eat it?”

She shifted uncomfortably. “Of course I will.” Mew was sounding unsure of herself, he could hear it in her small voice. It was disappointing. His challenge wasn't affecting her the way he thought it normally would have. She had indeed grown weak. Why indeed was the real mystery.

Mewtwo brought himself to kneel back in front of her, grasping her jawline with a lone hand. He lifted her vision to cross his, stern eyes watching her flinch, wanting to free herself from his grip. “Then let me see you take a bite,” he offered slowly, lifting his brows. “Prove to me this does not concern me.”

A quiet gasp shuddering, her fingers clutching the berry tightly, eyes widening—signs she didn't expect his witness—but she nodded. She was released without another response, her prosecutor rooted in place. Her eyes dropped to the fruit, steadily loosening her hold while twisting it around in her paws. Taking deep, somewhat shaky breaths, Mew kept glancing between the Lum berry and Mewtwo while raising it to her lips. Carefully, but painstakingly, her teeth cut through a good-sized portion with a soft crunch. Her eyes began to water at the sweetness of the juices, but dared not let any tears flow. She remained hesitant, however, as her brows began to furrow. He had a feeling she was fighting with herself, almost as though another her was trying to give instructions or hold her back.

After a painful minute, she finally bit down on the morsel with her front teeth, but her jaw either locked or her incisors glued together. Mew whined quietly, raising a hand to her mouth to pry it open. It was the movement Mewtwo wasn't happy to see, his suspicions confirmed. When the feline managed to poke her finger in to un-stick her teeth, her jaw dropped and the complete, barely-marked piece fell out in a dribbled mess to the grass below. Her mouth remained open, pride keeping the Legendary from crying while her head hung, eyes sealed shut by her growing tears. Sneering, the clone took away her berry and bit down on it where she had started. Within a few moments, he chewed enough he lifted her chin to close his lips on hers, pushing it through.

Mew tensed up each and every time he connected, hands shooting up involuntarily as the tremble ran down her spine, guiding the food down her throat. Mewtwo held a good grip to keep her steady, tilting her head back to make it easier on the both of them. No line of conversation was spoken between the two, leaving them in blessed quietness. There was a hint of wind blowing in, the scent of rain among it. She barely shivered; he was shielding her from the majority of the current. Even then, his breath over her lips and into her airway kept her warm, a sensation that calmed her jumpy arms and dulled the chill.

None of them knew how long they were there, how much she was fed the Lum. Mew appeared to have lost touch of all her senses growing more used to her clone's presence and by ignoring his touches and crunches, barely noticing her swallowing. She was more-or-less in thought, feeling she was herself again except for a blank spot in her memory from her withdrawal. Physically, there was strength, a rush of power as everything began working normally. It wouldn't be long now.

An arm suddenly jerked, and Mew's senses refocused. Immediately, she felt the inside of her mouth was warm and moist. The transition of temperature had stopped, her lips slightly parted and covered. Mewtwo's hand on the back of her head still gripped but loosely, hardly moving. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. It was... strange. Was he finished? Did she happen to sleep all day? Slowly but surely, she opened her eyes, tears long ago subsided, meeting the soft gaze of violet. She couldn't help staring back. There was a different impression in the depths, the sight of an actual living, breathing, feeling soul, a light shining through that wasn't there before. It was beautiful. To be sure she could breathe, Mew took a breath.

There was movement, a light pressure against her mouth, and the eyes closed. She mimicked, still seeing the picture of the unknown soul in her mind's eye. No, it wasn't unknown. It was a familiar presence that finally showed itself unto her. She tried to inhale again, and instead felt a soft skim upon her lips, followed by a deep, subdued moan. A tingle ran down her back when the hand behind her head slid to cup her face, the thumb lingering on her chin. She felt her mouth drop before it was gently snagged back in place, and there was slight parting for a quiet breath.

Mew gasped, eyes snapping back wide open to see the soul peer at her through the own eyes of Mewtwo. Something burned inside her chest when they crossed gazes, an ache that shot outward with every heartbeat. Taken aback, she swiftly separated space between them, pushing herself closer to the tree.

He only stared back with a puzzled look at her astonished expression until he shook his head, raising a hand to his forehead. Standing up, he quickly turned away to avoid her gaze. There was a moment of muttering until Mew could hear him say, “The rest you will use as practice.” Then he walked off soundlessly, strolling along the lake's edge without looking back.

She watched him leave, trying to calm her trembling. A hand rose to touch her lips, cold sweat beginning to form. All the meantime, she whispered back-and-forth to herself, “He didn't mean it, honestly he didn't,” and, “It's just a dream.” She repeated this under her breath until she drifted off to sleep, finding herself suddenly tired.

There was rain in the air, but even that couldn't make her any colder than she already was.

Slight reference to religious philosophy about mid-way, but Mewtwo has always done that, so it's pretty much normal (in the Japanese version, anyway).

*~*~*~*

Chapter Three:Losing Control

“When they all come crashing down—midflight
You know you're not the only one”
-- “The Only One”, Evanescence, “The Open Door”

*~*~*

Within the following couple of months of living under Mount Quena, Mew slowly learned to eat again and redevelop her abilities. The miraculous healing power of Clarity Lake brought back the color to her face and eyes, and her fur developed a sheen of a perfect well-being. Though now able to to reuse her powers, as expected, she procrastinated her training to play with the Bug larvae or visit the lake's inhabitants. There were days Mewtwo attempted to get her to strengthen her special abilities only to result in a cat-and-mouse chase that would last into the evening. Her excuse was that she trained and played at the same time (by fleeing from him, he amended to himself). The happier she became, she once explained, the healthier she would be—which he found hard to believe.

In truth, she refused to let her counterpart get within reach of her since the day they had arrived, she just kept the reason to herself. As the memory of his lips against hers remained fresh, she had resorted to playing in an effort to push it from her mind. At night, however, Mew could not escape the senses she had felt in those few moments, nor the ache left behind in her chest. She grew restless, even once staying up until dawn exploring her temporary home and forcibly memorizing every little detail. It pushed progress back a few days, much to her clone's disappointment, but if anything could distract her mind from it and keep her away from him, she would do it.

As a result of her uncooperative behavior, Mewtwo eventually gave up trying to get her in line about a month in. He trusted Mew enough to at least exercise her jaw for a few minutes a day, and let her be about her own business. While he generally ignored many of the inhabitants, he had soon found himself talking to the alpha, unable to forget the familiarity of its aura. After the first few days of their acquaintance, he had learned the Scyther was a direct descendant from the Scyther clone, whom he had not seen since their departure centuries ago. The physique of abnormal strength and valor was enough for him to figure it out without confronting the male, though the talks about one of his grandfathers outliving many generations until his death some ten years prior evaluated his suspicions.

“I still do not get it how it was possible he lived that whole time,” the mantis had sighed, shaking his head. “It seemed so... unusual. We thought he was immortal.”

Mewtwo thought over the possibilities for a while, even questioning Mew at one point about her species' lifespan (when she was close enough to ask). Shrugging, she had only said, “Even I'm a bit concerned about my lifespan. My mother passed away when I was a kitten, and that's still too young for a Mew.”

It wasn't very much help, and he fretted over an answer, mainly a theory, for a proper explanation. He himself found it a bit baffling how he had managed to outlive even his own clones, but could only recall legends humans believed were the secrets to a Legendary's long lifespan. Curiously interesting legends they were, though not enough to satisfy and prove.

Still, the Scyther was persistent to know more about his ancestor, asking continuous inquiries about who he was, where he came from, and how Mewtwo knew him. He didn't mind answering them the best he could, but he was skeptical doing so. He wanted to make sure his past would remain a secret even when he wasn't haunted by it anymore; then again, this Scyther wanted answers. It was very unlikely he had traveled away from his home, let alone knew about the current and past events. It was better him than a common Pidgey.

By the time the second month of their stay arrived, the two were finding themselves friends, enjoying each other's company while Mew played with the Bug larvae. It became routine for Scyther to arrive after his daily patrol and share a chat with the psychic. Today was no different as he approached Mewtwo, who was resting underneath the basswood, watching Mew toss squealing larvae into a shallow area of the lake.

“I am not solely responsible for what Mew will do to those children,” he cautiously stated without looking up, waving a hand nonchalantly. “I am but a lifeguard.”

“Again? What, has this been the fifth time she made you a lifeguard?” Scyther scoffed, sitting cross-legged beside him. “She must not like you very much.”

“Obviously. She wanted me as far away as possible, and I happily took that opportunity. I would leave her here, but I am forbidden to.”

“Why is that?”

“She is still unstable, and Ho-oh entrusted her to me.” He sneered at the memory from two months back. “To this day, I do not know why I even bothered.”

The mantis nodded, his attention to the childish scene. Mew picked up a young Wurmple and gently hurled it behind her head, forming a small rosy bubble and shooting it back without taking a glance. The young caterpillar bounced off it into the shallow water with a laugh, gaining some cheers from its friends. Even she gave a compliment, guiding it back to the shore before reaching for a Weedle.

Scyther blinked. “She looks fine. I'd say she's healthier now.”

“But not pleasing enough,” Mewtwo snorted, rolling his eyes. “She still has her sleeping habits to work out, and I have to make sure she can eat solids without choking. I just wonder if she will let me get near her by the time that happens.”

“All females are like that, it's normal,” the alpha male waved off, chuckling to himself. “Even I have trouble going near my mate whenever she is in one of her moods.”

Mewtwo could beg to differ. As far as he knew, only Pikatwo and Meowtwo's mates were never seen apart from them, so it was not surprising they had many offspring. The female clones were very friendly and had self-control of their attitudes, possibly one reason why a few had found mates within the group. Overall, the clones he had ended up running into over the years all had loyal mates, even those few with some rage and hormonal issues. It was a rather curious practice, almost similar to what humans called marriage in their customs. Then again, those faithful females, both human and Pokémon, were different. They weren't raised in the wild to live by “survival of the fittest”. It was like each one of them, as few as they were, knew their place without question or rebellion. Sibling-rivalry was an exception, it always had been (likewise with Suicune's case, he pitied her).

But what did he know? He never found a mate (nor planned to anytime soon), and hung out with so few proper females it was fairly baffling to stereotype the opposite sex. So Mewtwo kept quiet, catching the sight of Mew throwing a few larvae at one time to the bubble. A Caterpie ended up sticking his pads to the surface, rolling it forward with its burden. The children laughed hopping in place, a few wanting a try. When Mew rescued the worm, the bubble popped upon removal, the remains stuck on the feet.

She giggled as the Caterpie started eating it, taking the membrane away and scolding him gently with a smile. “You are not supposed to eat bubbles, silly.”

“I just wanted to taste it,” was the innocent reply, the caterpillar hanging his head in shame. “It was plain anyway.”

And she laughed once more, twirling him around. Mewtwo frowned at her tone. It had been a long time since he last heard her laugh, but it wasn't hers. The laugh he knew was more bubbly, carefree, and liable to get stuck in one's head for a while and drive to insanity. Here, it articulated as short-lived and controlled. It was as though she forgot how to express joy and was afraid to bring attention to herself. She didn't sound like a child anymore...

“You want her, don't you?”

The clone whipped his head around to face the unflinching mantis, eyes wide but leery. Scyther's head was tilted in speculation, his eyes peered at him beneath raised brows. “What was that?” he snapped.

He shrugged. “I've seen that look before. You seek after her, but are either afraid or unable to.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Mewtwo growled, irises flashing almost menacingly.

Unaffected by the intimidation, Scyther continued noting, “I take it this is your first time. Don't try to deny it, I've seen how you act around her. It's not much, but there's enough evidence to know you are showing some feelings toward her.”

“I have no such thing!”

“I'm telling you to not deny it, Mewtwo, because it's apparent there's some chemistry going on. The way you never let her out of your sight, the far-away look in your eyes a minute ago, anxiety, intimate closeness, there's many other signs.”

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. “Intimate closeness, you say? I tell you now that we have done nothing of the sort.”

Holding up his scythes, the alpha quickly added, “It's not limited to just mates, it also goes for friendships and familial love. Though I was hinting at what happened when you were helping her eat. I have never seen such a thing before even among family members. It made me wonder if you two are very close friends for her to allow that.”

Inwardly, he flinched at the mention of his chewing for her. He was vaguely aware there were others watching, but they all had left shortly afterward as far as he knew. He remembered the Kakuna and wondered if they had witnessed the whole event. “There was no other way to give her the nutrition needed,” he admittedly said, scowling. “It was not an option I wanted to do, but it was my duty.”

“But there was one other incident, wasn't there?” Scyther pointed out, a bladed forearm placed underneath his chin in thought. “Something happened between you two that caused this separation, right? I didn't see it, but from what I heard, it was a very unusual gesture, even for Pokémon.”

Damn Kakuna. “Unusual.”

The alpha Bug nodded. “Indeed. Each Pokémon species have a rather unique way of showing affection. Pidgey groom each other, Arbok perform a kind of hypnotic dance, Volbeat and Illumise create light shows, to name a few. You and Mew, however...” He paused, staring at Mewtwo with a look of uncertainty. “What does your species do, Mewtwo?”

He had feared this question before it was ever fabricated. Many times, he tried hard not to dwell on the fact he was one-of-a-kind, the first and last of his own species. But not even he, the world's strongest Pokémon, could escape the cruel fate of loneliness. Mewtwo looked back at Mew, who had by now given each larva their own bubble to bounce and crawl on. She flew about each and every one to help keep them balanced, applauding at every successful trick they may have performed.

“I will be honest with you, Scyther, that even I am unaware how I, my own species, show affection.”

The mantis raised a brow disconcertingly at his grim tone. “You're your own species?”

A slow, hesitant nod. “I am the result of man's attempt to play God on orders. I am half-Mew, but the other I am ashamed to say is human.”

“Human? So wait... you're saying—”

“When you are the only member of your kind, you tend to grow lonely,” the feline resumed his musing, vision unfaltering from his counterpart's direction. “You capture other Pokémon just to clone them out of selfishness, giving life to something that was already living. As time goes on, you realize how difficult it is to be a free spirit when the decisions you make are not your own. Even after you discover who you are, questions still remain, questions that may never be answered in this life. Then again, you wonder if a man-made creature such as yourself has other lives than just the present. You fear the end even though you look forward to it, just as you fear the beginning.”

Mewtwo tore his eyes away toward the mantis' direction. “This lake may have given me life, Scyther, but there are certain blessings given to God's creatures that you know you are forbidden to receive because you are Man's creature, and Man is opposite of God. I may feel this affection you say I have, but I may never receive it.”

Scyther shook his head. “But you are able to. If my grandfather is a clone like you said, then what he was blessed with will be given to you.”

“Your grandfather had no serious sin upon his shoulders, no shadow of regret in the back of his conscious. Everything he ever did was of my own doing, my will over-powering his.” He turned back his attention to Mew, who was holding onto the Caterpie's front suctions to help him hop. “I killed and controlled life by my own agency. I bring nothing but destruction in my wake. Were I to have a mate, even a child, neither of them would last very long by my hands. I am a cursed being doomed to desire but not receive. What I did to Mew was as such. My desire was not returned, at least not in the way I had hoped it would. That, my friend, is my human side...”

Mewtwo closed his eyes, thinking back to the first day. He once again felt the soft flesh of Mew's lips against his, her breath mingling with his life, welcoming it into her lungs. She was untouched, leaving her taste pure as fresh rain and her fur delicate as the cloud. Her eyes were richly illuminated by the sunlight, reflecting a brilliant shade of blue he had never before seen. Inside the depths was what remained of her innocent spirit, reaching out for help, for another chance at life. Her first deep breath carrying his life was the spirit's start of its first breath of life: it was her kiss.

But just as quickly as it started, the resuscitation came to a sudden halt. Mew became dismayed and pulled free of the transfer, starting the rift between them. And yet, he could never forget the dying spirit of innocence that relied on him for a starting breath. “I forced her to be that part of me, if only just for a moment. A normal Pokémon would never dare overpower another's will. Only man has ever done that.” Mew's laughter brought him out of his thoughts, bringing his vision back to her play. Somehow, the Caterpie had bounced so hard his bubble snapped in half. She hoisted him onto her back to allow him to ride while she flew around, making the other children jealous and wanting to fly as well.

He blinked when Scyther gently laid the blunt side of his scythe on his shoulder in a comforting manner. It was a silent, simple sentence in a gesture: “I understand.”

The clone took a side-ways glance at it, feeling a light burden dissipate. “Thank you for listening. I am sorry if I was becoming a bore.”

The alpha only smiled. “Actually, it was very interesting. It explained a lot about yourself, about why you are so different from other Pokémon. I can honestly say I have seen and heard it all, though I don't think many will believe me.”

Mewtwo quietly chuckled. “I suppose not.”

There suddenly came a shout of surprise as one of the children cried out “There's something in the lake!”, startling the others.

All eyes looked toward the middle where a shadow was forming. Mew positioned herself in the front to defend the larvae, quickly waving them back to shore. Mewtwo immediately stood up with Scyther, eyes narrowing. A long, almost mournful cry sounded, and a large waterspout crashed through the surface in a flurry of white. The cause of it revealed itself as Lugia when he stretched his wings in a flap, the sparkling water flying off in all directions. It was an attention-grabber, every inhabitant turning to the stranger only to give out cries of respect upon recognition.

Though taken aback by the welcome, the water dragon drifted up to the small Legendary, perching in front of her, feet partially submerged. “Mew, thank goodness you're okay!” he greeted.

She grinned. “Lugia! How'd you find us?”

“Underwater cavern. A very tight space it was, but never mind that. Ho-oh sent me to find you and Mewtwo. Speaking of which, where is he?”

Mew glimpsed behind her shoulder when he launched to her side, staring up at Lugia. “Something happened, did it not?” he queried, though it was more of a suspicion than a question. His counterpart side-stepped, returning her attention to the Sea Guardian.

“You're smart enough, Mewtwo, figure it out,” the newcomer immediately retorted, glaring down at him. “What is really the only other reason I would be here?”

As rude as Lugia was, he ignored the irritated tone. “War has begun.”

Scyther appeared by the children, awed at the majesty of the dragon. When he heard the statement, he exclaimed, “War! A human war?”

Acknowledging the alpha, the beast nodded. “It's been declared sometime last month, and since then there have been tons of casualties. But what's even worse is that everyone is being involved in this.”

“Everyone?” Mew gasped. “How did this happen?”

Lugia craned his head. “Oh, you weren't... 'really there' when it happened,” he said, using his wings as air-quotes.

She raised a brow giving him a warning look, folding her arms.

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, whatever. When Sinnoh was bombed by Orre a couple of months ago, just about every single region went at war with Orre within a week's time.” A snort escaped his beak. “It seems they all want a piece of them, I suppose.”

“Wait, you said Sinnoh was bombed?!”

Mewtwo stepped in before Lugia could speak again. “I would stop if I were you,” he warned. “You are not here to stir anyone up. Ho-oh is calling for an immediate gathering, and there is no time to slack off.”

“Okay, smart-ass, next time I'll take care of Mew and you can be the messenger since you know everything,” the dragon remarked snappily, pointing at himself then to the feline. “Had that been the case, I wouldn't have wasted my time tracking you down. Why the hell did you have to choose such a secluded area to live in? Don't you know how long it took me to find a way here?”

A glare sparked a harsh glow to life in the clone's eyes. “If you knew what was the best way for a full recovery, you would go through the same extremes to make it possible. The difficult, the better.”

Lugia flinched, sneering slightly. “Sheesh, I'm sorry, okay? I've been through a lot the past two months, haven't you? Oh wait, let me guess.” He mockingly pinched his brows and touched his temple, scrunching his eyes shut. “You've been living the secluded, simple, happy life without a care in the world. And at one point you and Mew messed around with each other in a secluded, simple, happy place, naughty naughty.” He stole a peek at the two, smirking at the infuriated expression frozen on Mewtwo's face and the shiver running through Mew's body. Scyther only blinked while the larvae stared up in puzzlement at the giant Legendary. “Ha, I'm good.”

“Lugia, that isn't funny!” she shouted, a faint flush on her face. She spun around behind the younglings and gathered them around her. “There are children here, you should know better!”

“I don't get the joke,” the Caterpie squeaked. Mew laid a hand on his antennae, silently praising his innocence.

He scoffed, throwing up his wings. “I was just teasing! Come on, lighten up, it's been a hard couple of months!”

“There are more serious matters out there than an idiotic joke,” Mewtwo remarked, his tail whipping in annoyance. “Let us get going and meet the others. Time is crucial.” He turned back to face the Scyther, bowing politely in place. “Thank you for letting us stay here. Had it not been for your kindness, Mew would not have healed as nicely.”

The alpha bestowed the thanks kneeling before him. “And I thank you for saving our goddess and showing us your kindness. You have been a good friend. May we meet again.”

Mew solemnly listened to their farewells between hugging each of the larvae. The way the Scyther addressed her as such hit a nerve, remembering the inhabitants of the Tree and at how they used to honor her as such. She truly was going to miss the underground lake and its loving atmosphere. “Farewell, children,” she whispered, squeezing the last child.

“Good-bye, Mew!” they chanted in unison. “We'll miss you!”

She smiled, poking the Weedle's nose. “Remember, there's no such thing as 'good-bye', only 'see you later'.”

“Oh, okay!” They then took a deep breath and shouted, “See you later!” a couple jumping in place.

Laughing, the Legendary once again hugged them before flying back to Lugia who was scanning the cavern. She looked toward Scyther, giving him a bow as well. He returned it, eyes welling up. “It's been an honor having you here,” he told her humbly. “Our home has never been happier, and the children love you. We will never forget what you have done for us.”

“Same here.”

“Okay, why wasn't I notified that there was a freakin' opening?” the beast blurted out suddenly, glaring up at the hole above them. “I squeezed through a narrow tunnel for nothing?”

“Do not even bother,” Mewtwo muttered, shaking his head. “You are larger than the opening by twice its size. You would get stuck headfirst attempting it.” Finding himself without any other options, Lugia darkly cursed himself for his large stature and Mewtwo's “purposeful choice” hiding underground. He glanced over at Mew, cocking an eyebrow as though to prove his point. She only frowned, averting his look. “So, Mew, are you capable of Teleporting, or are you not that confident yet?”

She just shrugged. “I can Teleport.”

“Let me rephrase that: are you capable of Teleporting outside of the area?”

“Um...” She did a nervous double-take, biting her lip.

Her answer was as expected, displeasing her clone even further. “Well, had you been doing as told, you would be more confident performing such a task.”

“I have so!” she defended, snapping her eyes toward him. “You've seen me with the children!”

“That was child's play. The world is not merciful to its protectors, Mew, and you know it.”

“And why would it matter to you? What have you done to protect the world?”

“I rescued the most important protector from herself!” he lashed out, getting into her face, motivating her to back up. “The very protector who is the hope, the source of reason of this world living another day. But how does she thank me, this selfless, loving guardian? By fooling around, and rejecting the very existence of him who SAVED HER LIFE!”

The water dragon executed an unexpected action of smacking him across the head with a wing. One of the children gasped, Mew shot her hands to her mouth with wide eyes, and shocked murmurs spread through the watching crowd. “Don't be a jackass, Mewtwo! She's just getting her bearings!” he shouted.

A growl rumbled in Mewtwo's throat, fists clenching tightly as he slowly faced Lugia. His optics were veiled over with a fiery blue, face darkening and teeth bared. The sight of his increasing rage made the beast back away, regretting his action.

Slowly, but harshly, the feline spoke. “I am doing my duty in returning her to the realities of the world. I want her back to who she was before her depression.” His voice was lenient but very deadly, on the edge of snapping. He stepped forward, causing his peers to recoil. “You and I know damn well that she is still unstable. We all have the world closing in on us, you can feel it as much as Mew.” Another approach and his foot touched the lake's edge, angry vibes rolling off him and rippling through the water.

Mew started to quake, tensing when his negative energy stung through her. She reached out a shaky hand only to have it repelled by an invisible psychogenic field. “M-Mewtwo... please,” she gasped. “He didn't mean it.”

He only continued his advance, the waves growing more powerful and widespread. “If you are so concerned about Mew as you say, why did you not take responsibility and see to it that she would recover the proper way?”

“Mewtwo, think about what you're doing,” Lugia nervously said, imploringly glancing up at Mew as he inched backward, nearly avoiding stumbling over his tail. “Remember where you are and who's watching. There are children here. D-Don't want to give them a wrong message, right?” He pitifully grinned, attempting to lighten up the mood.

Mewtwo remained unchanged, though his fists were radiant with azure flames and his voice was growing more bitter. “Does my choice of location disappoint you, Lugia? What were you hoping for, Mount Silver?” Stronger shock waves expanded at his next step, then were more powerful as he quickened his pace. “How about the Orange Archipelago, no? Or Lake of Rage? It is beautiful this time of year. What about the Whirl Islands? Tohjo Falls? New Island?!” A psychic blast burst from the rage, knocking the dragon off his feet and careening into deeper water. Behind him the children were crying, their parents swarming in to carry them off to shelter. Scyther led others away from the area, ready to signal evacuation at a moment's notice.

Mew was hardly aware of it, attention transfixed on the terror unfolding before her. She had found herself more afraid of Mewtwo, frozen in place while the waves of his anger pierced through. It was after the brutal attack did she finally take action. “Mewtwo, stop it!” she screamed, flying to the middle of the two and spreading out her arms, facing her counterpart. “No more, please! Let us just go!”

He paused, standing feet away from her position. She dreadfully stared back into his blazing eyes, visibly trembling in fear. From behind, she heard Lugia struggling to pick himself up, sensing his gaze. Mewtwo kept his dark look upon her, taking in her unsteady posture. When he spoke, his tone of voice had softened, though the ire was still audible. “Mew, step aside. This does not concern you.”

She shook her head. “Prove it, then,” she challenged. “Prove to me that I should not be concerned about this.”

He barked a long, cold laugh as he stepped forward. “So. Using one of my own methods against me, are you?”

“It works, that's all I care about!”

The laughter resumed, steadily becoming crueler the nearer he progressed, fists unclenched enough the flames died out. Mew stood her ground, using her willpower to control her wavering. It was tempting to back away, to keep him as far away as possible, her mind and even the children hollering at her to run. She still chose to stare her prosecutor down, telling herself she was strong enough now to hold him back to at least give Lugia time to recover, or even go for help. She honestly wouldn't blame him if he did.

Mewtwo's laugh quieted to a faint chuckle when he reached her in knee-deep water, bodies a hair's breadth from the slightest touch, peering down into her face. The smaller Legendary glowered back, slowly dropping her arms to show her neutrality. A crooked smile then spread and his eyes flashed alive with malice, startling her. His hand snatched her by the throat, cutting off any attempt to gasp or scream, and pulled her up to his eye-level. Mew grasped his fingers with both hands, straining to loosen them, struggling in his grip.

“How foolish of you to think that,” he cackled, giving her a slight shake. “It only worked because you are too naïve, too pitiful to think for yourself. Had you been less stubborn and allowed me to care for you, you would have been healed a long time ago.”

Mew weakly whimpered when he squeezed harder, vision blurring upon staring into his blue-filmed eyes. There was an unfamiliar presence lingering behind the translucent veil, the dark look not naturally Mewtwo's. A shiver ran up her spine at the sight, spotting the snake-like pupils. She had seen him in a rage a few times in the past, but never was he this uncontrollable, so full of hatred. He looked possessed like he was an object. It seemed inhumane, even devilish. She glanced away, trying to take a breath while resuming her effort to break free.

Mewtwo scoffed, shaking his head at the distressing attempt. He raised a lone finger to graze slowly down her jawline. “I honestly cannot say what I saw in you, Mew,” he murmured, savoringly watching her squirm, “at what motivated me to save you.” He leaned further in to take up more of her sight, his lips curled wickedly as he nipped her bottom lip for a choked gasp. “But you and I have all the time in the world to get... reacquainted.”

Her eyes scrunched shut, releasing a tear to cascade quickly down her face. Bending his neck, the clone licked it up, callously following the salty trail it left behind. Mew managed a small, helpless cry until he roughly discarded her to the side. Lugia shouted out her name, spreading out his wings and triggering a strong gust. Mewtwo launched himself from the water and sped for his target, hands flaring up again. The beast braced himself, straightening out his tail and eying the aggressor. Raising his arm, the feline powered up an assault, aiming for the ribs while the water dragon swung superbly—

—just as a pair of arms threw themselves around Mewtwo's neck from behind.

Their attacks made contact the moment a flash of light illuminated them, blinding the awing on-lookers. It dissipated as speedily as it came, and the Bugs saw to their disbelief the Legendaries' disappearance. Buzzing murmurs and gasps of concern spread through the inhabitants. Scyther himself couldn't believe what had happened, at what was dangerously close to being their doom. The bravery of a tiny Legendary, their goddess, prevented destruction with little power to start with.

Silently, he prayed for their safety, and for the removal of madness in Mewtwo's heart.

Why aren't people reviewing this? :O
This is brilliant. There isn't any one particular thing I can say that I like most - it's simply inspiring. :3 I like how you personified each legendary, for instance. They all clearly have individual characteristics and personalities that fit them quite well. I also like your use of words and how easily everything flows and just...how you put in such raw emotion.
The feeding and healing bit in chapter 2 was one of my favorites, for example. I love how you get down to each detail, you really made it out to be sexy, and so necessary, that it was natural and not forced at all. It just happened that way. <3
I also enjoyed chapter 1, the most, as to be expected. It dragged me in right from the get go. I'm probably just one for catastrophe stories, but I like it a lot. I also just love legendary Pokemon, but there are a lot of reasons why I picked this up faster than other stories.
All in all - finish this one! Please. I'd love to know what happens next with Mewtwo and how their relationship blossoms further. Saying that, I like how you make it a bumpy road to ship - as to be expected with Mewtwo. Excellent work! It really is. ^^
If you do PM lists, you can throw me on it. Otherwise, I'll try and check back every so often.

Encyclopika:
Made the banner
Is a GIRL. >.>;;
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Such an inspiring review, you're like... the third or fourth inspired review I've had on this story (if you count ff.net xD, and if so, you're the second to say "personified")! You made me so happy, now I don't want to go to bed, I wanna stay up and write it all out just for you. *goes fangirly for first in years*

You've made me grin like an idiot when you mentioned chapter two. I did not think of it that way, I pretty much just took the idea from Princess Mononoke. It was so heartwarming in the movie, I wanted it in here somewhere in that same context. ^///^ Guess I went a little overboard... in a good way...

You got it, Pika! If not for anyone else, I'm doing it for you, you just made my cruddy night a lot less cruddy. Thank you so much! I'm so tempted to just upload every single chapter I have written out right now...

How can anyone not review this? this is fantastic, just like Encyclopika has mentioned. the detail you have put in this story is great. it also grabbed me from the start. you have a awsome talent in writing. im looking forward for the rest of the chapters. keep it up. =3 (Can't say anymore since Encyclopika has said it for me. ^^)

midnightjewelz: Aww, thank you ^_^! But I love repetitive comments like that, you should have at least given your own take on it. Aw well, I get what you're saying anyway. *hugs*

All right, scrrrrrrew the weekly update, I'll update whenever the heck I feel like it, and I feel great right now! So here's chapter four! This will be broken up into hopefully no more than four posts, that's how long this is. Also, this is mighty... mighty. Once you see the title, you'll understand what I mean by "mighty".

*~*~*~*

Chapter Four:Apocalypse

“Now the day has come
We are forsaken
There's no time anymore
Life will pass us by
We are forsaken
We're the last of our kind”
-- “Forsaken”, Within Temptation, “The Silent Force”

*~*~*

“What do you mean Rayquaza is unable to make it?”

Deoxys only shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Aw, hell if I know. He just suddenly told me he had to go do something and mentioned about not being able to come. Then he flew into the stratosphere.”

Ho-oh grumbled to himself, pinching his brows. Today wasn't going to be a good day; it was starting to feel more like a hundred years ago than two months. Since Rayquaza ditching the conference was a normal occurrence (even with a good excuse), he usually wouldn't have bothered. The difference was the urgency, and after the declaration of war, attendance was crucial, mandatory—time was of the essence.

“He's probably cleaning the ozone again,” he muttered with a sigh. “We'll be expecting a satellite shower sometime soon.” He ushered the three Regis into the trees when they arrived, mentally checking them off.

The alien scoffed. “Yeah, I'll tell everyone that.”

He turned to walk for the clearing when a bright flash lit the area, forcing the two to shield their eyes (and for Deoxys to cuss loudly). When it faded, they blinked up at the arrival of Mewtwo and Lugia, immobilized in what appeared to be the beginning of mortal combat. The feline's fist was frozen at the beast's chest, while the spiked tail was pushing into his hip. They blinked, breathing heavily and bodies trembling as they tried to relax, stepping away from each other.

Ho-oh, after staring in bewilderment, nearly let out a holler, flailing his wings about. “What is the meaning of this?! Lugia, I told you to fetch them for me, not get in a fight!”

Lugia twitched and popped his neck facing the phoenix. “Ow... we can explain... sorta.”

“Ho-oh, we saw a flash from the clearing, what happe—oh, it's just them.” Entei had come crashing through the trees, skidding to a stop beside Deoxys in a half-disappointed, half-relieved mood. He did a double-take upon seeing the DNA Legendary's face, tilting his head. “What's with him? Where's Rayquaza?”

“Never mind, Entei, get back to your seat,” the Sky Guardian snapped, shooing him away. When he sulked back into the wood, Ho-oh spun around and faced the two, scowling. He looked them over, noticing someone was missing. “Where's Mew? Did you leave her behind?”

Mewtwo raised a hand to massage his temple, groaning and swaying in place. “Oh, what a headache... Sorry, Ho-oh, what did you say?”

“Mew! Where is she?!”

“Mew... she... I do not...” He paused, furrowing his brows in thought. There was a blank in his memory, a most curious flaw. The only latest recollection was his yelling at Mew before a blow to his head, and then blackness. There was, however, a moment he felt like taking his anger out on someone or anything to get his mind off whatever was preying on him. A sense of... failure? Rejection? His headache worsened at the frustration, and he collapsed to his knees. A bump to his cheek made him flinch and turn to the source.

It was Mew, draped over his shoulder in exhaustion, her grip around his neck weakening. She was in tears, diminutive body shaken with silent sobs, and droplets of blood on her bottom lip. She tried to lift her head away from touching him, only to roll off him to a patch of dirt, landing on her side. The headache being not a concern as it dulled, he reached for her.

“Don't... touch me,” came her hushed whisper, shrinking away as she leered up at her counterpart. “Stay away... never touch me.” Slowly, Mew lifted her tired self to her knees and scooted back, trying to get as far as possible from Mewtwo's reach. Then steadily, when she was mentally refreshed, the tiny feline levitated to a pleasing height, inching backward without an averting glance or change of expression. “You've done your protection,” came her quiet affront, tail whipping angrily at an angle.

Deoxys held back a snicker, catching the others' attentions. Had he a visible mouth, he would be grinning awkwardly. “Sorry, it's just funny the way she said it,” he giggled. “Sounds like Mewtwo fucked up big time. Possibly both figuratively and literally...”

“Deoxys, you have the crudest imagination among all of us,” Lugia grumbled, shaking his head disparagingly. “You sicken me.”

“Well, you're the jackass among all of us, so you sicken me.”

“Go to hell.”

The alien only replied by scratching at his face obscenely with a finger until he caught Ho-oh's warning glare. The look telling him “I'll deal with you later”, the bird stepped forward to Mew's side. He looked over at Mewtwo as he stood up, frowning at the distance between them. “Is there something I should know about here?” he wondered, raising his brows. “Confessions, maybe? Problems or concerns we should solve?” The phoenix ignored the quiet chuckle coming from Deoxys.

Immediately, the rosy cat pointed at her clone menacingly. “He violated a few codes intentionally, and then some.”

“Violations? How so?”

“He started the fight between him and Lugia.”

Mewtwo's eyes flashed briefly at her sudden accusation. His fingers clenched, but he remained silent to keep himself stable from any triggers ready to set him off, trying to fill in his blank moment. Whatever did happen to cause the fight was ready to spring up again in a heartbeat, the evidence visible in her eyes. She was frightened, yet unaware of it with her mind being everywhere at once. She needed to be silenced for a moment's rest.

Lugia joining in, however, didn't help one bit. “She has a point. He was just asking for it, what with him yelling at her and all that.”

Ho-oh's eyes narrowed half-incredulously, craning his head to the dragon. “Yelling at her? What about?”

“Protection,” Deoxys hacked out, quickly pounding his chest.

“About her condition, really,” the beast muttered, doing the best he could to keep from whirling around and hitting him. “Sounded pissed about the whole thing. I don't know what went on the past two months, but I guess things took a turn for the worst.”

The Sky Guardian gave a slow, disgruntled sigh, feathers slightly bristling as he shook his head. “I knew better than to force her on you, Mewtwo,” he said in a faint regretful tone. “Shaymin offered to take her, after all. If you were so uncomfortable taking responsibility, why did you volunteer anyway, Mewtwo?”

He shifted his gaze to Ho-oh, mouth in a stern line. “As generous as Shaymin was, I did not feel Mew would be better off in her care as much as mine,” he admitted. “I even had my doubts with your healing abilities, though frankly, this also applies to everyone else, even when I secretly hoped—and later cursed—that someone else would take her. It was surprising Latias chose Jirachi over her, but I do not blame her, nor anyone. Mew was not herself at the time. There was that possibility she would have become a whole different being during recovery.” He stole a quick glimpse at her, unaffected by her leering. “And with Mew being the most important figure of us all, failure was a death sentence, a punishment none of us would dare risk. Supposedly, only the most important.”

“You had nothing to lose,” the phoenix suspected in surprise. “There was a high risk of losing one's position and even their own life had Mew died. A very high risk it was.” He unexpectedly uttered a quick laugh. “Are you saying this was a death wish, then?”

“No, nothing of the sort.”

A barely audible, disappointing swear came from the alien. “Dammit, why wasn't it?”

Ho-oh pretended not to have heard it. “Well, whatever the reason, all that matters is that Mew is well. Any of the violations you committed, Mewtwo, will be taken care of later. For now, let us head over to the clearing so we can begin.”

“W-Wait, you're putting it off?” Mew blurted out in awe, breaking her glare turning to the bird.

“We have much more to deal with than petty law-breaking.”

“What he did wasn't petty, Ho-oh! It's serious!”

“Well, how serious is it, then?” he asked, spreading out his wings. “He started a fight with Lugia, he'll be dealt with later. The punishment will be minuscule as no one was injured in any way.”

“He fought with me as well!” she shouted. “He physically harmed me!”

Raising a skeptical brow, Ho-oh scanned her up and down. “I'm not seeing any bruises or cuts to prove he did.”

“He was strangling me!”

Mewtwo frowned, crossing his arms and trying to remember committing such an act. No memory from the blank spot came to mind. It was confusing as to why that occurred. Everything Mew was accusing him of might have happened, it was not like her to lie or spread false rumors—for all he knew, anyway. She could have changed since her recovery or even during her depression, but what they were, if any, he could not say. Two months playing with children wasn't a very likely trigger that would activate sudden mood swings or split personality. He then thought back to the first day at Mount Quena. The rift between them didn't start until after her strength returned, at the very same moment he found himself lost in a kiss, staring at the broken, departing, pleading soul of Mew's innocence...

“...swore to take care of you. Mewtwo hasn't done you any harm, or we would've known,” the impatient tone of Ho-oh refocused to his senses, drawing him away from the memory. He even was hearing the tension growing between Lugia and Deoxys, going into more depth about the fight Mew was arguing over. “Why are you so anxious to have him in trouble? Did something happen?”

“Yes, something happened!” she began to holler, hands balled into tight fists and tail snapping in every direction. “He's changed drastically! It's almost like he's become human!”

A moment of shocked silence hung in the air, every head turned to face her. The word made the suspected Legendary of concern wince inwardly, a non-existent punch to the gut making impact and spreading the freezing agonizing vibes throughout his body. His mind started flipping out, thoughts not like his own worrying over the suspicion she overheard his conversation with Scyther. Mewtwo was almost feeling helpless in this situation, doubtful he could clear his name and erase the very mention of the word describing who he, the world's strongest Pokémon, was not or is. Without casting his eyes about, he sensed the stares of astonishment and incredulity on him directly.

After a few deep breaths, the phoenix found his voice. “Human, Mew?” he echoed. “How such?”

“Well, he... everything about him is...” A quick breath to start over. “H-He... well... he just—It was the first day, a-and...” The assertive words that had filled her mouth had suddenly jumbled themselves around. She began to stammer, trying to retrieve her bearings and control her emotions to fight against the stupor of thought. It was a small blessing Mewtwo didn't expect he'd get.

Mew, in the meantime, struggled to find the right words to describe the wrongdoing of Mewtwo's. Ho-oh, Lugia, and Deoxys were staring at her, waiting for her to speak, to spout out the events of their stay at Mount Quena. The flashback of that day instead caught her off guard, stirring up mixed feelings over it. She felt once more the rush of her emotions: defeat, astonishment, enlightenment, fear. Shivers ran up her back when the lingering touch of his fingers slid into place, the warmth of his mouth brushing against hers as she breathed him in... losing herself in his gentle amethyst gaze to see the soul dwelling inside—the faintest recollection of a moment's peace.

It was jolted from her when a weight slightly rested on her shoulder, and a voice demanded Mewtwo to lead her to her seat.

Wait. Mewtwo...

She spun around to find him standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder and eyes staring her down. Gasping horrifically, Mew swiftly pulled away from his grip, backing up and crying out, “Don't touch me!”

“Mew, you are growing pale and hyperactive,” he explained, stepping forward and reaching for her. “You need to rest a little while.”

“No, get away from me!”

“I gave him the order to do so,” Ho-oh said, putting off the dismayed stare she gave him. “You are not feeling well at the moment. It's just until you calm down.”

“I'm not well? Not calm? Whatever gave you that impression?! DON'T BLOODY TOUCH ME!” she shrieked at her counterpart, slapping his hand away when he extended out once more for her.

Mewtwo, though irritated, disregarded her demand and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in. She immediately began to scream, struggling in his hold and clawing at his flesh. He grimaced at the wounds, but held her close to his chest and headed for the wood. “No, NO! RELEASE ME, MONSTER!” she yelled, then sank her teeth deep into his arm without warning.

Everyone gasped (with another nasty swear from Deoxys), eyes widening at the bloodshed. Though Mewtwo lurched painfully, he continued unhesitant on his way for the clearing, neglecting his blood loss. Ho-oh promptly stepped in the way. “Mewtwo, let her go,” he ordered.

He pushed her closer, flinching more as she bit harder. “I cannot, Ho-oh,” he replied grimly. “She may be unstable, but she will gain control of herself. She just needs time.”

“This... th-this has nothing to do with her being unstable!” Ho-oh sputtered out. “I only told you to lead her there, not grab her into a choke hold! You are allowing her to rip you apart!”

“And so I will.”

“If she crunches any harder, you are going to bleed to death!”

“I trust Mew will calm before that happens.” He felt her twitch when her head shifted, digging her claws into his skin. Without another word, he marched by the phoenix, head held high and his strides smooth. Lugia and Deoxys followed not far behind, worryingly staring at the trail of blood drops.

The walk was mainly silent, the only known sounds being the distant murmurs of the other Legendaries and muffled whimpers from Mew. Upon reaching the clearing and making their presences known, everyone held their breath or gaped at the gruesome scene. Mewtwo avoided locking eyes, taking his seat and hoisting his burden. She worsened her bite in retaliation, widening the wound so the mixture of blood and saliva dribbled down heavily.

Zapdos was the first to speak, dismayed at the outcome of the Legendary. “Mewtwo, what did you do to her?” he started to incriminate, his spiked golden feathers crackling.

The psycat slightly lifted his head, eyes focused forward, maintaining his silence. As offensive it was to not answer, he felt it best to show and not tell. It was expected of the thunder bird to be upset and pester him some more, but one of his sisters spoke up for him.

“He's being bitten, of course something happened,” Moltres muttered, rolling her eyes. She glanced back at Mew, a frown on her beak. “She must be really angry.”

Latias got up from her seat, hands clasped together in worry. “But... it's unlike her to be angry like that, and she has gotten mad at me before.”

By surprise, Darkrai's eyes glowed a hazy turquoise, and he quickly drifted over to Mewtwo (who was remaining diligent in disregarding everyone's presences). “I'm sensing fear coming off her,” he eerily announced, a hint of relief in his voice. “And it's really strong. Oh-h-h, something happened all right. If only she was asleep...” His hidden mouth began to water from the aura wavering off the smaller feline, fingers growing antsy.

“The temptation is really strong there,” the phantom admitted, eyes locked on the targeted Legendary and hands inching for her. “I shouldn't, but it's just... begging.” The moon swan came and hurriedly dragged him away, unexpectedly without a fight or complaint even though he moaned in disappointment, grasping his head. Deoxys snickered until Jirachi elbowed him.

Mew then started to stir, loosening her teeth from Mewtwo's arm. He groaned at the removal, eyes closing shut when the cool air rushed over the wound. There then was a drop of water hitting the lesion, and a stinging sensation began to spread, causing him to wince. He glanced down to see her gaze up at him, tears spilling down and dropping onto the bite marks below. Very little of his blood were on her incisors, but streams trickled off her bottom lip, which he remembered had been bleeding. She trembled, shifting her vision to the deep puncture wounds, taking in the free-flowing rivers running down his arm. Upon wiping her mouth and spotting the crimson smear on her paw, a strangled gasp escaped from her as she quickly crawled away from his hold. She avoided looking again at the infliction or even at her clone, bending over to bury her face into her hands. The tears rolled bitterly down her face and through her fingers, sobs tense and irregular.

Mewtwo averted his gaze to the wound and ran his now-glowing hand down his arm as though attempting to swipe off the blood. The bleeding immediately stopped, but he left it alone to allow the markings to heal properly. It would be a scar in the end, a permanent reminder of his mistakes.

Ho-oh momentarily walked into the clearing, solemnly but steadily. He took not one glimpse at anyone upon entering, stepping up to the top of his rock as speaker of the counsel. Wings folded behind him, he rose his gaze to the crowd, casting his eyes about. He was silent for a few moments, taking in his fellow peers and their postures, noticing how they were barely aware he had arrived. Looking over to where Mew and Mewtwo sat, he sighed inwardly at the sight, watching the shimmering tears drop to the grass below. It was worse than he thought.

Craning his neck higher so to avoid the scene, he commenced. “This meeting will now begin, with or without Rayquaza,” he declared, voice too soft to be his own though he was sure he was speaking his loudest. The crowd turned to acknowledge him, but it was apparent their thoughts remained elsewhere. “He has some... 'business', apparently, to take care of. And I trust everyone else is here that we should not have to take roll call.”

Latios side-glanced nervously before slowly raising a hand. The phoenix tilted his head. “Yes, what is it?”

Biting the inside of his cheek, the Eon dragon carefully responded, tapping his claws together, “Er... actually, Ho-oh, we have not quite the near-perfect attendance. Um, when you went to greet everyone, Shaymin—how to say this—up and left. Without an explanation.”

“She left?”

“...Yeah... Pretty much.”

When Ho-oh let out a long, irritated breath through his nostrils, many swore they saw steam being puffed out or were sizzled from his feathers. He scrunched his eyes shut, brows deeply furrowing. There were murmuring concerns moving down the crowd about Shaymin's ditch once they noticed she was absent from her seat. It was the first she had purposefully missed a meeting, reasonless for that matter. She had once said so herself she wouldn't be there only if she was terribly ill, absolutely needed elsewhere, or dead (which had since then ceased the irksome “he died” joke some of them had started). As the Lake Trio were her seating partners, they knew there was a disturbance in her aura before she left, so they cleared it up with the Sky Guardian. He was still upset at her leave, but the reason was at least partially solved.

“Thank you, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie for speaking up about it,” he sighed, massaging his forehead. “I suppose we can excuse her today. Now, she and I have called together this emergency conference upon hearing of the declaration of a war last month. I'm sure most of you have gotten word of such.”

Slow nods bobbed in an unbalanced wave before he carried on. “Since then, however, more regions have come forth to team up either with or against Orre. There currently have been fifteen battles fought and a total of three-quarters of a million casualties and growing. Among the humans, this has been described as the war of all wars: Armageddon. For Pokémon who are keeping out of it the best they can, unless they are part of the militia, it's called the Omega War or the War of Mankind. But whatever name has been given, it is still a terrible, bloody war that has no end in sight at the moment. Personally, I believe this war ends when the last two living humans fight it out to the death, but that's just me.” Shaking his head about, he returned to the matter at hand, “Whatever the case, everyone is involved, directly or indirectly. Now, I feel there is nothing we can do, but if anyone has any suggestions—”

Everyone bent their heads back to see in amazement a barrage of lights streaking against a gray sky, giving off soft glows of orange. They were numerous with different varieties in size, speed, and illumination. Ho-oh rolled his eyes, barely skimming the skyline. “That must be Rayquaza burning down satellites again,” he grumbled, almost accursedly. “Impressive show he's putting on, but he's interrupting our meeting. As I was saying—”

“No, Ho-oh, those are actual meteorites!” Suicune pointed out, gaping dumbfounded at the sight. “They seem to be increasing!”

“Preposterous, it's the middle of the day!” the phoenix sputtered out, slightly more irritated at the disruption than the event. “A bloody cloudy day for that matter! Rayquaza is out-doing himself again! What more evidence do you need?”

Out of the blue, there came from the heavens the pierce of a horrified, agonized roar. Shivers and gasps spread amongst the Legendaries, all oculars now fixed upon the sky, searching for the source. Latias started to cry. “Where's Rayquaza?” she squealed, shaking her brother's shoulder. “What's happening?”

Deoxys smirked to himself, standing up in his seat. “Heh, I bet I can make him show up,” he said determinedly, making his surrounding peers grouch in disgruntlement. Taking a deep breath, he shouted above them, projecting his voice to the atmosphere, “Hey, worm-bag! I found your porn collection, the ones you keep denying about! They're going to sleep with the fishes if you don't stop your stupid pyromaniac show!” He looked down at the horrified, rather perplexed stares, a few eyes twitching here and there. He slumped slightly. “Wha-at, telling a disturbing lie wasn't what you were expecting?”

“Deoxys, what the hell was that for?!” Dialga exclaimed almost in a screeching roar, a poisonous leer in his eyes.

“That's low, Deoxys,” Celebi scolded, shaking his head. “Very low.”

“What do you mean it'll sleep with the fishes?” Kyogre then spoke up, penetrating a deadly glare in his direction. “Sounded like an intentional threat.”

“Are you talking about human porn or Pokémon porn, by the way?” Lugia blurted out his inquiry. Both Articuno, Moltres, and Giratina reached over to smack him upside the head with their wings.

“I was just joking, he doesn't have such a thing!” the alien scoffed, dropping his arms. “Sheesh, why are you guys taking this so seriously?”

“You, sir, are being disrespectful and crude, as is typical of you!” Cresselia shouted, getting up from her seat for a better view.

“Well, excuse me, Victorian princess, I honestly had no idea that would offend you!” he retorted back.

“NO IDEA?! That's because you rarely THINK before speaking!”

“Does sarcasm mean anything to you?”

“You don't joke around about that!” Before she could shoot forward to start a fight, Darkrai pulled her back and sat her down, Heatran helping out when she struggled. “Let me at him for once! That S.O.B. needs to be taught some proper respect!”

Another roar reverberated from the sky, and they watched in terror as Rayquaza streaked through the sky, sending off blast after blast at the burning rocks. He got low enough that when he sped by, drops of blood rained down heavily upon them. “RAYQUAZA!” Latias screamed his name.

Either he heard her or his energy was depleted, the bruised and broken dragon spun back around after his last Hyper Beam gave out. He landed profoundly behind Ho-oh, gasping for breath with his head hung. It was an incredible sight to see a powerful creature in defeat. He was bleeding from the mouth and the terrible gaping gashes throughout his serpentine body. The markings were illuminated intensely, but flickered with every sharp inhale. A few fins were torn, though one was completely gone from the tail's tip. His claws were either damaged or run dull.

The phoenix stumbled off his rock in horror. “Rayquaza! What is going on?”

He shook his head, voice graveled in pain and from his Hyper Beams. “Unbelievable... it's nearly impossible...” He looked up at the bird, and everyone could see (a few of the females screamed, though others grew squeamish) he had only one eye shining from its left socket, the other a giant, hollow black hole with a bloody waterfall pouring from its depths. “Hundreds of meteors, maybe more... coming this way. This part of the sky only that I know of, but... Oh, Arceus, the size of these things! I can't hold them off!”

“Are they not breaking off?”

“No, not one bit... Whatever metals are in the rocks... I can't break through.” Raising his lone ocular at what he could see over the treetops, a painful gasp escaped his throat as he struggled to lift his beaten body off the ground. “They've landed...”

At once, the land beneath them trembled exceedingly, the tremor powerful enough to affect the winged and levitating Legendaries. Trees splintered around them, rocks crumbled to sand, and the water from the lake overflowed and drained into the widening crevices, all just as the quake hit. Manaphy jumped onto the back of Dialga as Kyogre fought to stay afloat and swim into more open water. The Lake Trio used their telekinesis to lift him up until he found his bearings, encouraging the other Psychics to raise those land-bound out of harm's way.

Ho-oh took wing to avoid the splitting earth, spinning around at the Legendaries, eyes blazing in fear and in near anger. “What are you waiting for?!” he shouted in near-hysterics. “Slow down the meteorites! Stop the tidal waves! Get everyone to safety! Do your duty as protectors, NOW!”

Without question, they all herded out swiftly, separating into many different directions for the corners of the world. Even Rayquaza, weak and broken as he was, found the strength to give off a roar and dart away in a flash, leaving blood in his wake. Ho-oh couldn't help staring at the large crimson puddles. There was a cry shimmering in the depths each time the ground quaked, a silent sound he knew too well. When a fault split through one, the dark fluid pooled into the jaws of the earth, provoking its need for more. He fled from the island then, flying fast as he could for his homeland, his heart crying out in bitter misery, fearing for the fate of the world.

Latios and Latias exceeded their limit racing across the ocean for their home of Alto Mare, careful not to glimpse up at the blackening sky filling with meteorites. They remained in somber silence to preserve their energy, trying their hardest to block out loud splashes of impacts and the faint trembling of the earth beneath them. Some Water Pokémon were poking their heads out in curiosity, staring up at the endless sea of fiery darts. The waves soon enough grew restless and increasing, and murmurs of concern (though others scoffed saying another storm was just on its way) were quickly outrunning them.

Whimpering quietly, the female dragon mentally sent to her brother, “Latios... what's going to happen?”

His eyes narrowed. “Don't think about that,” he warned. “Right now, focus on making sure Alto Mare will be protected. They're counting on us.” The tone of voice was bitter, it was hard for him to say it, let alone admit it.

Fading into view ahead was their home, the protruding buildings of the city visible against the horizon line. With a gesture of the head, Latios increased his speed, melting into a blue streak. Not wanting to be left behind, she mimicked, and the two hurried into the middle of town, dodging buildings and people with ease to reach the hidden gate of their garden. They went from dark to light in seconds, skidding to a stop before the fountain that held the Soul Dew. Its dark azure color was unchanged, a positive sign that made Latias collapse in exhaustion before it, but it worried her sibling. Signaling her to stay put, Latios flew up above the trees for a better view of the city.

As small as it was, it normally was crowded with people walking through the streets or relaxing in gondolas. Ever since the war started, eligible men left to fight against Orre (even then, there were those who refused), so mainly the women and children roamed free. But even the remaining people were as terrible as their enemy. Alto Mare used to be a happy city of peaceful citizens, and of having a perfect population that they never worried about overcrowding. However, the beauty of it attracted people from around the world, and some of those newcomers were rotten to the core. Their evil habits weren't contained in time to keep from spreading to the young people, who slowly rebelled against the traditions of their parents and inherited the city as such. Those masses then had children who were raised the same way, and sure enough, in just a few generations, the peaceful, beautiful island of Alto Mare became a gruesome addition to the increasingly-wicked world. What hadn't changed were the secret garden and the Soul Dew.

Unable to sense the danger during its developing years, Latios and Latias never saw it coming. They had an inkling when they heard terrible stories and news reports, but never paid much heed to it. By then, it was too late. Before long, they would hear screams, day and night, of women being jumped, the cries of children and Pokémon amongst the firings of gunshots, the mourning of widowed husbands and wives, and the pleas of the murdered. And in the midst of it, the wails of Latias would join in, wanting so desperately to help the citizens she swore to protect. She roamed the streets more often, always taking on different human disguises playing vigilante. What she neglected to do was watch her back, and it nearly cost her everything. Had she not found the voice to scream for Latios, she would have been raped and/or murdered. The gang of thugs were never caught by police, and it was enough to keep her home out of fear. They would only leave the garden when needed elsewhere.

It was a proven fact: the Guardians of Alto Mare failed at keeping their beloved home, their life, from being corrupted. They could only watch from afar as the people forgot them and became selfishly engaged in their own dark deeds. The two shed their share of tears until they dried up, leaving only an aching, bleeding heart to do the rest. They wished they could cry out to the people “Enough!”, and have them cease their iniquities, but they possess no such authority.

As Latios found enough sorrow to spill out a few tears, he turned for the surrounding ocean to avoid looking at the city. There were waves building up steadily, crashing against the rocky walls of the island, a hint of a storm on the horizon. He wasn't sure where or how far the rocks were falling (they weren't visible in these skies), so time was precious. Both he and Latias needed to find a way to barricade the city on such short notice.

“Latios!”

The addressed dragon gasped, spotting the faint glimmer of Cresselia's wings as she sped for him. “Cresselia! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be elsewhere?”

“Oh, Latios, it's terrible!” she wailed, pulling up to his side. Tears were splashed on her face, eyes dried from the wind, but still welling up. “Rayquaza was right! The meteors have landed!”

“And? How bad is it?”

She shook her head as though trying to rid herself of a memory. “I was flying over too late! They... well, some landed not too far from Pacifidlog Town, a-and caused a... a...” Her voice caught.

“Tsunami?”

“Worse!” came the shriek. “Which doesn't make sense as to what could be worse than a tsunami, but I swear it was like no other tsunami I've ever seen!”

Latios reached out to hold her still, she was unable to stay in place from her hysteria. “Cress, Cress, calm down!”

“No, no, I can't! They were screaming and tried to run! I couldn't save them!”

“Cresselia, what happened?!” he shouted, shaking her into submission.

The swan stared at him in a state of terror, eyes wavering in and out of subconsciousness. She could hardly speak, but when she managed to find her voice, the Eon Legendary had to lean over to hear. “They drowned.”

“...what?”

“The wave... it was the biggest I've seen. I-It washed over the town—people were screaming when they saw it. It's horrible, those screams... I can never forget.”

“Cresselia, what happened to the town?”

She ducked her head. “It was washed away... I couldn't find it anywhere...”

Latias made herself known reaching out to hug the traumatized female, allowing her to cry on her shoulder. She tearfully glanced over at her brother, sobs escaping from her throat. Latios released her, arms dropping to his sides as he shook his head. He gazed over at the darkening horizon, getting the sinking feeling the storm miles away was an aide to the meteorite crash. Judging by how the waves were getting bigger, more numerous and powerful, they didn't have much time left. Alto Mare would be next.

Whirling around, he shot down to the Garden, straight for the fountain. He reached inside and pulled the Soul Dew out with little difficulty, holding it up to the hazing sunlight. From its depths, what couldn't be seen in the water was clearer in the proper light. With widening eyes, the Eon dragon saw the tell-tale sign of impending danger: a large, spreading dark spot. He had never thought it would happen, not in his lifetime, anyway. Alto Mare was doomed to drown, but not in its own water. That would only happen when it is destroyed, something that had happened many centuries ago according to what the family in charge of them said. They had also once mentioned the Soul Dew may contain the soul of a Latios, but it can leave on its own accord, usually to foretell destruction. And before his very eyes, the soul of a previous guardian was departing. If it completely ascends, the jewel is vulnerable to any other spirit, but loses its power. Alto Mare's water will then leave for good—Latios figured because it knew the city would never recover from such devastation.

He felt the presence of the two females descend to his side, their gazes locked onto the weakening gem. Latias' breath caught at the sight. “Latios...” she managed to gasp, bringing a hand up to her mouth. “Does this... mean...?”

A slow nod was his answer, glancing over at a confused Cresselia. “The Soul Dew is dying,” he explained to her, holding it out for a better look. “When the soul of Latios disappears, the water will return to the ocean. Then, sometime afterwards, Alto Mare is permanently destroyed.”

“It will be if we don't act fast.” Latios returned it back to its rightful place.

There suddenly came the wail of a siren, startling them. Straightaway, a magnified voice split the air. “Evacuate your homes immediately. This is not a drill. A tsunami is headed for land. I repeat, this is not a drill.”

The alarm continued, but the Legendaries were by now hardly paying attention. Shooting upward over the treetops, they stared out at the ocean, looking around all directions for signs of a wave. Latias, when she spotted a rising wave, clung to her brother, a terrified gasp escaping her. They turned to it, and Cresselia kept herself from screaming.

From what the dragons could see, it had to be the biggest wave they had ever seen, and they went through a share of tsunamis (outside of Alto Mare) in their lifetime. Its length, they estimated, had to be almost half the length of the island, the height undetermined at the moment. The speed it was clocked at was unknown, but it was understandable they had little to no time left. Alto Mare, though it had its periodic drills in case of hurricanes, tsunamis and the like, didn't stand a chance against an actual wave. And with this one being the largest possibly ever recorded, the drills were worthless. The city had no blockades or any form of protection against natural disasters, at least not after over half the island was drafted. Evacuation transportation wouldn't leave in time, but even if they did, they wouldn't outrun it.

Latios shook his sister and Cresselia out of shock when he cried out boldly, “You two, follow my lead! We're going to stop this wave from reaching shore!”

With a simple nod, Latios tucked his arms in and shot out for the ocean, the two females not far behind. He started to ascend, so when they mimicked, he shook his head. “No, get directly below me and match my speed best you can! Latias, descend several feet! Cresselia, beneath her another several feet! We need to make this as even as possible, or it won't work!”

They obeyed without question, keeping an eye on him for their next command. Upon reaching open water some feet offshore, he immediately curved to the right, a movement they struggled to keep synchronized. Latias mentally sent the moon swan an explanation. “He's really good at estimating the length of waves, that's why we're going so far.”

At their current speed, it was a short minute before Latios abruptly halted, looking down at them with eyes enshrouded in a white glow. Cresselia tilted her head, unsure what to do next. Because of the height, he telepathically replied to the two. “At my command, we soar at the same speed for the other end of the island, about two hundred yards offshore. Try to fly straight the best you can.”

“Wait, what are we exactly doing?” she inquired in the same manner.

“A psychic barrier with a hint of Mirror Coat to it. Yes, yes, the tidal wave isn't like an attack,” he admitted upon spotting the skeptical stare from the swan, “but it should help keep it out.”

Latias' grin only made things more unbelievable for Cresselia. “Logically creative, isn't he?”

Bless her little heart, she's so trustworthy. She had to give credit to Mew and Latios for keeping her hopeful this whole time.

The droning sirens finally faded from their senses, the three concentrated at the approaching wave, counting down the painful seconds. They had to get this correct, the city depended on it. Cresselia quickly prayed in her heart it would work, her shimmering down emitting a soft glow similar to the ones the siblings were giving off. She craned her head directly to the front, taking a deep breath. Now was her chance to redeem herself. Pacifidlog was a third the size of Alto Mare. Even if she had managed to barricade it, it still would have sunk.

This would be her last chance.

“NOW!” the order reverberated through their minds, and they shot off like three beams of light.

In their wake, a translucent start of a wall melted and undulated into existence, morphing into one all the way down to the waters and high above Latios. They cut through the air exceeding their limits, fast enough that Cresselia felt energy waves part from her body speeding by, guiding her forward. Deaf from the rush of wind, she was free from the background sounds of the alarm and angry sea rolling beneath—free from her thoughts like they were left behind with her stomach. Exhilaration was her motivation, the desire to save the people from destruction her goal. It was there at the end of the island, waiting for her to congratulate on a job well-done. She was bringing justice to those lost souls, to bring peace to her troubled heart.

No one was going to die this time.

Mentally, Cresselia felt a tug and a quiet “Halt!”, to which her body acted on immediately. Gasping in a deep breath, the swan blinked her dry eyes rapidly and shakily turned around to see her contribution. The wall was huge (her first thought), nearly invisible had it not been for the faint white glow, and thus glinted in the sunlight. It was their barrier, Alto Mare's last resort. Plain, but effective... hopefully.

So out of strength she was, Latias had gone behind to lift her up out of the way, taking her to rest on one of the pillars that bordered the city. With an arm around her, the two and Latios anxiously watched the wave sweep for them. Cresselia ducked her head into her friend, scrunching her eyes shut just as it reached the barrier. She heard the splash of water hit surface, and the shrilling squeal of the female dragon, happily jumping in place and pulling her along.

“Cress, Cress, we did it!” she cried out joyfully. “We won!”

She looked up to see the water slide straight off in mid-air, the wet invisible wall gleaming proudly in the sun. Little water had gone over, it dripped down the sides like raindrops. It was a beautiful sight. Cresselia's thoughts jolted when Latias snatched her up into a bear hug, swinging her around while crooning an energetic song. She couldn't help but join in. They even reached their arms out for Latios to participate, his sister chanting his name. He either ignored them or wasn't listening, his eyes scanning the horizon suspiciously. It didn't stop his sibling from clutching his elbow and tug.

“Latios, come on, join the party! We saved Alto Mare!”

Rather surprisingly, he slapped her hand away, bringing out a shocked gasp from her. “Sis, quiet!” he hissed, vision unfaltering. “You hear that?”

Indeed, when the females concentrated on their surroundings, the buzz of the alarms came into focus. Their eyes widened. “He's right,” the swan breathed, feeling cold sweat begin to sting her forehead.

Latias innocently replied, “Maybe they didn't see what we did. Everyone must be in hiding, right?”

Somewhere in the depths of the city, they caught a faint feminine scream of horror. “Oh my God, there it is! It's here!”

Immediately, the Legendaries spun around for the north-western side of the island, and it took all their willpower to keep from screaming like the woman. It was another tidal wave, bigger than the one they barricaded. The speed was incredible, reaching the outskirts within seconds of making its presence known—not even Latios could form a wall at his fastest velocity. And supposedly he did, the wave would have swallowed him up, and he'd drown. Then everyone else would.

Out of ideas, and too taken aback to retaliate, they watched in awe as it reached shore, sweeping over them silently. Caught in its watery depths, they were tossed violently in tight rolls, smacked around and stung on every inch. Breath nearly knocked out, Latios managed to find the strength to fight against it, trying to dart through the rough, dark currents. Through mercy or by luck, he broke through, coughing up the sea water he had swallowed, vision hazy.

“La—Latias!” he hoarsely called out, squinting to try and see through the watery veil. His inhales were short and jerky. “Latias! Cr—Cresselia!”

“Latios!”

“Cress! Where... where are you?!”

“I—I'm somewhere!”

Cries too feeble to answer back, he blindly, but cautiously flew around, hands out in front of him. He continuously shook his head to try regaining his sight, picking out blurred colors. In front of him, the swan crashed into him (he saw blue and a hint of pink), squeezing him and sobbing. “Oh, thank Arceus you're alive! Where's Latias?”

“Uh... I, uh...”

“Latios, for Arceus' sake, where's your sister?!”

“...over here!”

She released Latios at once with a wail, shouting out, “Latias! Where are you?!”

“Here! Look here!”

“Directions! Give me directions, I can't see very well!”

“...I'm wet!”

“OH DEAR ARCEUS, SHE'S UNDERWATER!”

Latios shot out an arm before she could dive, deeply breathing. “No... no, she's fine. She's afloat...” He forced himself to tear up, to help clear up his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he glanced down, feverishly searching the waters, trying to pick out red on blue.

Cresselia found her first, zipping by, and sobbing loudly and bawling out her name. He chose to remain in place until his eyesight would return. From below, he heard clearly their tearful voices, happy his sister was still alive and well. Aside from them, he heard nothing else, except distant waves. It troubled him, unable to spot any whites, browns, or even grays anywhere beneath or around. His breath quickened, and he rubbed at his eyes, muttering to himself everything was still there.

It wasn't long before he felt the trembling presences of the girls, listening to their labored breathing and sobs. “Y... You okay, brother?”

There was nothing but ocean with few scattered rocks. It was a calmer sea, but still it threatened another wave. Clouds nearby were graying, as were the skies. No other sounds reached them, no rustling trees, bustling streets, sirens, or chattering of any kind. It was deathly silent, except for the swift thumps of their hearts and shortness of breath.

Cresselia hiccuped beside him. “Just... just like Pacifidlog...” She hung her head in sorrow.

He couldn't believe it, not with the evidence in front of him. There was no way an entire city could be wiped out by a single wave. It couldn't have swept the whole land away to a new location or underwater. Those buildings were to resist such a disaster, they had strong foundations... and they were gone in an instant.

Everything and everyone.

It was impossible.

Latias slowly approached, eyes pooling over with large tears. Slowly, he turned to her, teeth clenched. “This can't be,” he whispered harshly. “They could have survived, we knew those buildings well. How is it possible?”

She remained silent, dropping her gaze to her hands. Gingerly, she slid them into his own, transferring the object she was holding. Latios' eyes widened, and he lifted it to eye-level, clutching it tightly to keep it from slipping. The Soul Dew was still intact from the violent flood, but it was not the gorgeous blue it once was. It had completely blackened, now beginning to disperse and instead leave a clear, empty casing behind; the destruction was complete.

Arceus had cried out “Enough!” for them.

*~*~*

The Orange Islands were going to be hit hard, this Lugia and the birds knew. As they flew like the dickens for their destination, they were sensing the storms forming in the distance. It frightened them both, remembering how centuries before their actions nearly caused a world-wide destruction. The storms had originated around Shamouti Island, but spread fast. Today was no different, except that they had gotten along over the years, and thus aren't responsible for such tragedy. Of course, ever since the legend had come to pass, the old traditions slowly died off. The newer generations began to shun their fathers' beliefs and became a worldly influence. They still knew about the three islands not far from their home and who presided there, but they would much rather capture them than worship or respect them.

They had not stepped foot on those islands since the people started their greedy explorations. The treasures they were close to finding were hidden away, and the ancient shrine they froze timelessly in place to thaw out when the Shamoutians would return to their old ways of peace and harmony. Their private islands (Zapdos would affectionately and reverently call by name should they ever be mentioned) were eventually converted into separate cities and defiled by human living. Even if they deserted them to live back on the mainland, the Legendary Birds could never roost there again. Humans leave behind in their wake aftermaths: undying presences that forever marked their being there. They never leave once settled.

Remaining high in the air, the four Legendaries watched the horizon for their old homes, keeping quiet to conserve energy. Inward, fear trembled throughout their minds and bodies. What if everything was a false alarm? If so, what would the humans do? Would they start inducing their Pokémon onto to them for capture? Who, if anyone, would care for their sakes and everyone else's? But most importantly, were they prepared to protect the islands? There were many archipelagos and so widespread, they were unsure if they could save each and every one. Some were uninhabited islands, but for all they knew, they could have been settled over the past century or two.

Articuno suddenly began to have one of her breakdowns, decreasing her speed and descending subconsciously. Zapdos sent a light shock to snap her out of it. “Art, save your energy! Control yourself!”

“Oh, Z-Zapdos... I'm trying, but... I-I'm just so scared!” she wailed, tears growing with every sob. “These aren't the people we trust! What's the point?!”

“Ho-oh commanded us to do our duties as guardians and protectors, duh!”

“But these are evil people! They don't care what happens!”

Lugia was tempted to smack her, but upon thinking back to Mewtwo's reaction the last time he did, he held himself back. He felt a bit out of place, not being a close sibling to comfort her. He may have been entrusted to keep them out of trouble, but he didn't always spend time with them. So he left it to Moltres to be her sister's keeper. “Art, Art, listen to me,” she tried coaxing her to look up at her. “Everything's going to be fine. We're just going to be there to check up on everything, and then we'll leave. We're not making you stay there. Okay? Can you calm down, please?”

“B-But...”

“I'm serious, Articuno, we need to be chill about this.” (Lugia again felt more awkward. He always viewed the Ice-elemental bird as the older, mature sibling of the trio.) The fiery fowl released her. “Please, regain your composure and just do as we do.”

Sniffling, she nodded and they continued on their way, letting the wind dry her tears. The rest of the trip was quiet until they reached the storm's territory. Rains heavily fell, lightning became a huge concern, and the winds were treacherous. They forced themselves to fly lower, almost in sight for others land-bound to see, and let the currents carry them to their destination.

Zapdos looked over at the water dragon in anxiety. “Hey, aren't your wings strong enough to make these speeds?” he shouted against the air current.

“They can, yes, but I swear to you I did not make this.” He averted his eyes to a nearby island. “Not this time, anyway,” he muttered to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing of importance. Just keep your heads up and watch out for—”

“OH DEAR ARCEUS, A TIDAL WAVE!” Articuno shrieked, pointing a talon at a large wave rising for them.

Lugia straightaway roared and blasted a gust of wind with a single flap, blowing it into two separate waves until they collapsed back into the sea. He side-glanced at the frightened Legendary, catching her eye. “You can just fly higher,” he said matter-of-factly. “There's no need to shout it out every time a wave shows up.”

She flustered in embarrassment and mumbled, “Sorry.” Her siblings hid their snickering well.

They continued on, side-stepping the waves when encountered and using stealth to avoid the humans who happened to be boating in open water. It didn't take long before they arrived, gaping at their old home. The islands had been completely transformed into metropolises, mountains cut down to make room even though they were already cramped. But as they watched, hurricane-like winds were tearing apart the buildings and flooding the shorelines. In the surrounding waters, hints of forming whirlpools were noticeable, sucking in anchored boats and anything else floating on the surface. They had yet to be hit by earthquakes or tsunamis, if any were in the vicinity. As troublesome as it looked, the Legendary birds were strangely calm.

Zapdos especially gave a scoff, shrugging. “What was the point in coming?” he questioned. “We know these islands better than anybody! They've been hit harder than what's already hitting them. Ho-oh worried over nothing.”

His supervisor gave him a wary look. “You may know the islands well, but I know these seas well. And what I'm seeing is something to worry about. Mainly those waves. They're just getting bigger and bigger.” He tilted his head to the black sky above. “And this storm? Oh, it's going to be worse.”

“Then... uh...” Moltres tossed her head back to reignite her flaming crown. “Shouldn't we do something, or... get out of here?”

“Yeah, Lug, how do we protect these people?” Articuno interjected. “It looks like everything's under control.”

“They don't have any frigging sandbanks!” he snarled unintentionally, motioning to the disappearing shorelines. “These idiots forgot their barricades!”

Indeed, the Shamoutians had no indication of ever building a well-constructed sandbank around any of their islands. Even if they did, they were either washed away or demolished from the in-coming tides. It was unlikely of them to forget to build up a wall before a large storm. A thought came to the Freeze Pokémon, and she gave her opinion. “Well... maybe the storm came so suddenly... they didn't have the time to put them up.”

Everyone else quickly agreed, turning to Lugia for his response.

He bobbed his head a little, weighing out the possible answers in his mind. Articuno's sounded more believable, he had to admit. Humans who lived on coasts have always had up a wall of some sort before a large storm, it was instinct, as forgetful as people could be. And the storm had developed so suddenly, it made sense they didn't catch it on their radars (or whatever the heck humans used for weather). He couldn't blame them for that mistake. So reluctantly, he went with her idea, and apologized for snapping at them.

“It's okay, Lugia,” Articuno said with a smile. “You've been underwater for so long, you just forgot about human nature.”

Yeah, right, he inwardly corrected.

Her brother decided to crack a joke about it. “Well, I figure his brain's been waterlogged so much, he could only think in bubbles.” A crooked grin spread across his beak. “You think that's how Kyogre thinks?”

Lugia would have pounced forward to strangle him had Moltres not let out a frightened scream. Before their very eyes, a voluminous cyclone touched down upon the water's surface, stirring it up to create the appearance of a water spout. Many more came to be as the heart of the storm beat down upon them. Massive winds tossed them about, rendering their wings nearly useless. As the largest, Lugia managed to steady himself first and glide along the wind currents. The others fought against the gusts until they could fully spread out their wings and find balance. The flames on the phoenix were in danger of being extinguished, so the sea guardian formed an air-tight bubble around her, which unintentionally enabled her to fly. Pressured on by Zapdos' complaints, he made them their own separate ghostly globes, excluding himself.

“Oh, please,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. “You can barely hold yourself up in this storm. Who has a better chance on stopping these cyclones from reaching land?”

“Art, you can freeze them!” the lightning bird suggested, giving an awkward thumbs-up (so he attempted with a spiky feather) at a scowling Lugia.

She looked over at their guardian for consultation. “Am I going to freeze myself instead while in this... space?”

“I'm not entirely sure, breathe out a little ice as a test.”

He had made the bubbles too air-tight. Frost was outlining the spherical shape and only dropping the temperature around her. The thunder bird swore. “You jerk-ass! You did that on purpose!” His feathers sparked, only to shock himself. “Oh sweet Arceus, that hurt!”

“I did it for you three,” Lugia stated solemnly. “You guys are my responsibility. I don't want any of you to get hurt.” Zapdos muttered something about him shoving it, but the moaning winds blocked it out.

“What are you going to do?” Moltres inquired worriedly, bringing down her body temperature to control her flames. The heat was too much at the moment.

They could have sworn his smirk was of regret, a small apology to them. He gave his trademark mournful cry, tucked his wings in and torpedoed himself to a higher altitude and further away from the Legendary birds. In fascination and fear, they watched him spin rapidly into the core of the farthest cyclone. Almost immediately, it stuck in one spot, but continued to rotate. Inside, a bluish light faded into view, growing brighter and forcing them to squint.

Then a haunting guttural roar split the air, and the twister split apart. Gasps jumped from sibling to sibling, eyes widening. None of them could believe it was Lugia, suspended in midair and his vast wings spread apart. It seemed distance rather than power changed his appearance drastically. A rather deathly aura glowed about his sleek body, turning the silver hue into a violet shade, the blue flaps, spikes, and belly black. The feathers, from what they could make out, were bristling. They couldn't see his eyes to know if they had transformed into something terrifying or not, though if they had to venture a guess, they must have to match with his new form. What made it more horrible to look at was the amount of power he was giving off. It was like he unlocked a new potential, or a new side of himself.

He let out another cry, deep from his vocal cords, and swiftly swooped his wings forward once. A powerful burst knocked the wind and storm about him—it tore the cyclones to shreds, and brought the waters to dangerously high levels. It moved forward, an invisible force with no way of stopping, no great obstacle to bring it to a halt, it was felt through the bubbles. Through it all, Articuno painfully willed herself to keep from screaming in anguish as the islands broke apart, the Elemental Islands half-drowning in the waves, and glimpses of buildings and vegetation being swept away, all forever burned into memory. Above them, the clouds dissipated, but it was hardly noticeable, not while the destruction came to pass.

Clear as day, the darkened Lugia slowly felt his power fade, his composure coming back together. Once it was certain he was returning to normal, they flew to his side, supporting him until Zapdos led them to what remained of an island. Articuno, through her tears, caught sight of his blank eyes before they refocused along with his regular color.

She grasped onto his neck in an effort to shake him out of it. “Lugia, say something!” she wailed. “Do you know what you have done?!”

A shaky sigh escaped his throat, and his body fell limp despite him being conscious. He only weakly stared ahead at the empty horizon, mind refusing to allow him speech, to acknowledge their presences. It made her yell louder. “For Arceus' sake, Lugia, speak to us! Prove to us it's you and not someone else!”

Zapdos smacked her across the face. “Shut the hell up and listen to us, Articuno!” he croaked. She stared at him in astonishment, taking note of his tear-streaked face. “We all saw what happened, but don't blame him for it. He couldn't help it, and there honestly wasn't a better way of doing so. Art, look at me,” he barked when she glanced away. “You did the same thing a long time ago. We both did. While we weren't in control at the time, Lugia here knew what he was doing. He's more experienced than us, that's why he's our leader... of sorts. Okay, I don't know the purpose, but that's what he's there for. And now that I think about it, those stupid bubbles or whatever were made to protect us from that. You felt it, right?”

She and Moltres nodded, shivering at the thought. The power behind the wind was incredible, even though they felt only a small amount of it. Realizing what would have happened had they not been protected, Articuno teared up some more. Her brother released her, casting his eyes about the area. There were no signs of rubble of any kind, no bodies to be seen. Shamouti Island had lost a majority of its trees, but the land size was cut by half than it used to be. Their former homes were mainly just protruding rock now. The more he stared at the ground, the more it seemed to gleam at him, to permanently look like ice.

They remained there in silence until Lugia recovered. None of them dared to speak a word on the catastrophe. Their minds and souls had enough torment to last a long time—if they were living that long.

*~*~*

They kept coming with seemingly no end in sight. Rayquaza knew there were billions of asteroids floating around in the solar system and across the universe, but the odds of any of them careening toward Earth was astronomical; the sun had better odds of turning into a black hole. Even then, he did his best to try destroying the space rocks, risking losing his other eye—though mainly his life—in the process. Had Deoxys not been with him, he would have. No matter how hard the two of them tried, their combined attacks could only chip off parts of bigger meteorites (even with Deoxys' increased attack stamina) while the smaller ones broke in half and burned up in the atmosphere.

“Rayquaza, we need to retreat!” the alien called out, dodging fiery asteroids to fly up to the dragon. “We can't hold them off!”

“No, keep trying! They're crashing about Hoenn!” He roared, projecting another beam that sliced through a smaller asteroid to hit a bigger one behind it. It only left a crater. Cursing, he pushed Deoxys out of its way, narrowly avoiding losing a horn.

“Damn it, Rayquaza, you're too weak! You keep this up, you'll die!”

“Then I'll die doing my duty as a protector!” he snapped, swinging his tail at one that was half the size of other asteroids. It flew out of sight, but not before knocking another with it. “If it means I'll go blind, you can be my eyes!”

“No, NO! Screw it, Cyclops, I'm not doing it!” He dodged an on-coming speeding rock. “We should be down there like everyone else, saving the people!”

Rayquaza smacked one other out of orbit. “We are saving the people, by keeping the meteorites from falling!”

“Falling my ass, we're not doing shit about it!”

“You're not, but I am! Now help out like a good Legendary, or phone home!”

“Well, I have an endless supply, so you have a long way to go, big guy,” Deoxys retorted, crossing his arms. He spotted an asteroid coming his way through a double-take, and he blasted it in half with a Hyper Beam from his gem. “But it's not like you could, anyway. What, were you planning on biting it off? Cheeky.”

Rayquaza whipped his head around and shot his own Hyper Beam in the alien's direction, who quickly side-stepped the attack. “Damn it all, Deoxys, this is not the time nor the place for your lewd jokes!” he roared, his lone ocular blazing a harsh yellow. “If you refuse to help out, then leave! You want to save a human, go ahead! I doubt you'll find a more pleasant place than this!” He obliterated a speeding asteroid before it could disappear into the atmosphere.

“Fine! Since you're blowing chunks at me, I'll leave!” He mutated back into his original form, then turned to descend.

“Piss off, I like to mutate!” The alien indecently raised a finger at him.

Rayquaza chortled in between blasting out his attacks, returning the same gesture. “Oh, goody! Who is cancerous now?”

Spouting out more expletives, Deoxys morphed into his speed mode and sped off through the atmosphere, his alien anatomy protecting him from burning up in passing. He reached the troposphere in half-time of the asteroids, skidding to a stop several hundred feet from the ground. His eyes widened at the sight, body melting to normal subconsciously. “Oh, Arceus,” he gasped.

Below him were the ruins of a town, continuously being ripped apart by tremendous quakes and screams of humans lessening by the minute. Few faults were wide open and extending, pushing, rocking, and swallowing ground with each groan. Living beings were being buried alive in rubble and in the depths desperately scrambling for safer ground. He watched as a great building crumbled onto several people and Pokémon, muffling and silencing their blood-curdling shrieks of horror. Acting on his own accord, Deoxys shot forward for the remains, digging and pushing through the debris. He was somewhat aware of what he was doing, his mind split on two sides of fleeing the scene and saving the trapped souls. Around him the destruction continued, but he payed no heed. He kept searching like mad, throwing aside brick and concrete shards.

He got further enough he ran into the fresh body of a girl, though the condition made him shrink back. From what was recognizable of the bloody head trauma, and crushed limbs, she was fairly young, possibly not yet a teenager. Dusty red hair was splitting from the ponytails, almost scalped clean off only to hang by threads of skin. She had obviously died very shortly after the building fell, for her eyes were closed, unlike the other person Deoxys found a short distance away. He was killed on impact, eyes wide in silent, final terror and filling up with blood. His bones were completely shattered and pierced through skin. What made the discovery more gruesome was his severed torso. It disturbed him enough to stop him from digging up more corpses, and the alien fled, flying south. He couldn't determine if his spasming was from sorrow or repulsiveness.

Glancing down in mid-flight, he spotted the numerous fault lines and the few fleeing survivors that were native Pokémon. He descended to one of them, a shaken up Zigzagoon who stopped to stare at him. “What town was that back there?” he asked after gulping down breaths.

“Oledale! Or what's left of it!” it squeaked, tears in its dark eyes. “You didn't happen to see a little girl there, did you?”

“Which one?” He distinctly remembered seeing many young children the run around, crying for their parents.

“I was her Pokémon, she told me to run when the fiery rocks landed and when her parents dragged her away. She's a redhead. See anyone like that?”

Deoxys had to swallow, the image of the dead girl flashing before his eyes. “I-I saw her... ponytails, right?”

It nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yeah, that's her! Where is she, is she all right? Did she send you to look for me?”

There then came a sudden tremor, tearing the ground beneath them. The startled Zigzagoon yelped, jumping to the side to avoid the chasm. His footing, however, failed him, and he slipped into the darkness, the earthly jaws sliding into a narrow strip as quickly as it came. Deoxys was too taken aback to give a shout, too slow to grab the creature, to pull him to safety. He stepped back, stumbling around the uneven ground and falling to his knees. Right underneath the earth made attempt to devour him as well while his guard was dropped. Overhead, his name was hollered out and a shadow swept over, claws scooping his frozen figure off his feet and carrying him to the sky. Almost immediately, he began to struggle.

“Release me, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

“With me? What the hell is wrong with you?” the voice retorted, shaking him. “Are you insane to stay down there? There's a bloody earthquake tearing the ground apart with you on top of it!”

“Rayquaza, I mean it! I have to get down there!”

The dragon kept a strong hold on him with his strength nearly gone and his body more bruised and broken than before. “There's nothing you can do, it's over with!”

“No, NO! There's more down there!”

“You weren't doing a damn thing, I saw what happened! You let that Zigzagoon die!”

Deoxys, pausing in his struggle, fell limp and screamed at the top of his lungs. “YES, YES, I LET HIM DIE! BUT I LET THOSE OTHER PEOPLE DIE!”

Rayquaza flinched slightly, slowly releasing his hold, leaving the alien to levitate shakily before him. He was confused, but frightened at his sudden surrender. Deoxys was always one to defend himself, to counteract with nasty names and pick a fight without backing down. Very rarely did he let emotions other than anger take control. He was gone for only five minutes, and yet something had happened that caused him to break. Normally, this would be an astounding victory for the Air Titan had it not been for the obvious destruction keeping them occupied. Seeing his long-time rival as a shivering wreck who was waiting for death concerned him.

“Deoxys... did you see something down there?”

The answer was a snort and a shake of the head. “Why should you care?”

“Whatever happened down there affects life as we know it. Now for Arceus' sake, what happened?”

“Don't be an ass-kisser, you just want to rub it in my face later.”

“Don't be a smart-aleck, this is serious!” the dragon shouted. “What did you see down there, Deoxys?!”

“None of your damn business.”

Rayquaza smacked him upside the head with his tail, catching his attention. “Deoxys, I swear to Arceus, I will do worse things to you than whatever Hell is throwing at us down there if you don't answer me!” he growled, his lone eye flashing. “What did you see?”

Rubbing at his head, but returning the glare, the alien replied harshly, “I saw the Grim Reaper down there, probably harvesting more souls than you've ever seen. Hell, I shouldn't even call it the Reaper, whatever it is. Before my eyes, I saw a whole town get demolished by whatever's going on down there. There were people screaming and pleading for mercy, all while being buried alive. It's no different for the Pokémon, either. There is something non-human going on down there, Rayquaza. Whatever it is, it's not the humans' fault.”

“I'm not accusing humans of doing this, Deoxys.”

“Like hell you are!” Deoxys snapped, oculars blazing in anger. “That's all this has been the last two months! Screw it, the last few decades! Ho-oh has been talking about it, everyone has! They all say humans will eventually kill themselves off, but no human can do this kind of damage, this kind of carnage, no matter how many wars they fight! I don't care what you think, there is no freakin' way this is the result of mankind. I'll have you know that in my lifetime, I've seen planet civilizations end in a more peaceful manner than this. As far as I know, this is where Hell presides, and it just got its ass kicked.”

The two Legendaries sneered at each other, letting the words sink in. It was an uncomfortable feeling, being out-of-tune from the world as its dying cried from below while two immortal beings silently fought, refusing to accept the reality and the opinions of the other. The rivals, as much as their anger overtook them, couldn't find the will to say another word or even throw a punch. Rayquaza slowly turned his back and flew off, disappearing quickly into the distance. Deoxys remained where he was, lowering his gaze to the demolished land that was once Littleroot. It had met the same fate as its neighbor, only its slightly smaller population was eradicated quicker, and seemingly more cleaner. The world, from where he was, was suddenly a lot more quieter.

His tormented mind couldn't take it. He willingly allowed his sobs to split the silence.

It wanted out, to cause destruction upon the land. Volcanoes and yawning trenches were their only exits, and not even Heatran nor Groudon could stop them up. Susceptible to the heat, they were mercilessly pushed away by the tremendous force as the blood of the earth rushed forward to take those unfortunate enough to be in the path to their hellish graves. In vain, they built up barriers on the possible routes only to have an earthquake tear them down. They only went underground to travel to other areas, mainly to get to an island, just to arrive too late, or in time to witness living beings burn. Luck only gave a few places time to run for it, as the lava flows were creeping across the land, but if that didn't reach them, the earthquakes and ashes did.

Entei, in spite of his speed and liability to reach towns and cities quicker than the others, couldn't handle seeing everything die around him. He did his best, sending Pokémon down escape paths and even nudging a few humans into the same direction. At one point, he even had to carry out a child who had refused to budge, wanting his mother. Both times, it ended with a being's demise in some horrible way or another. Those who fled avoided faults and falling debris until their cockiness killed them off, or they dropped their guard and didn't see the on-coming tree. The boy the beast tried to save would have made it if he didn't try to leap over a river in his way. Had Groudon not fished him out, Entei would have drowned with the youngster.

When he had regained consciousness, he cursed the land titan for saving him instead of the human. “I didn't see a boy with you,” he defended himself, trying hard not to yell. “How was I supposed to know?”

“That's your own damn fault for being so large!” the volcanic dog snapped, glaring daggers. “Your eyes are so small, it's a wonder I'm even making eye-contact!”

“That's coming from a Legendary who constantly cleans his fur every time he eats, it looks like you have a beard,” Groudon retorted back, snorting steam. “Just shut your trap and get back to saving the world.”

“How the hell is this saving the world?!” he challenged, pointing out the mass destruction around them. “The trees are burning up, the ground's breaking apart, the frickin' sky is falling! Every living being is dying, and you're telling me to shut up and get to work?”

“As a matter of fact, I am! It's our duty, right?”

“And how would you know? You've been asleep most of the time, what is there for you to protect? What do they owe you?”

Gritting his teeth, the reptilian titan snarled, “Stop being a prick and help us! Ho-oh commanded us to do this, and I'm going to do it!” Huffing more puffs of smoke, the gargantuan turned around to storm off. “And there's nothing you can do to stop me.”

Entei prepared himself to pounce for an attack only to be taken aback by Heatran crawling out from the ground, shaken up and dripping with lava. “Oh, Arceus, it's like the earth detonated, or something!” he gasped, glancing between the two Legendaries. “What... what are you two arguing over?”

Groudon scoffed and spun back around to point menacingly at the lion-like Legendary. “That jackass there blames me for saving his ass.”

He in turn guffawed, rolling his eyes. “How clever. But you left out the part where I risked my life trying to save a human boy.”

Heatran leaned forward. “Where is he?”

“Floating up the river somewhere.”

“YOU HEARTLESS BASTA—!”

Popping a four-clawed foot into Entei's face, the Lava Dome Legendary leered up at the titan. “Why must you mock a young child's death? Especially when you know his blood is on your hands.”

Groudon, his pride not letting him admit to his mistake, stammered, “W-Well you're one to talk! What happened to Lavaridge? Did you arrive in time?”

Hanging his head, Heatran released the struggling Legendary Beast, who in turn held back a spitfire of curses to hear his report. “I felt Mount Chimney erupt before I reached Oledale's soil,” he sighed. “Its eruption sparked a severe tremor that hit Lavaridge and surrounding cities and towns within minutes. Even the aftershocks were terrifying.” A shaky breath. “I never stepped foot there. It was already ground zero even before Chimney blew its top.”

“You're wrong!” Entei barked. “I was just there! I was carrying a native boy away from that place before the lava reached the first building!”

“How well did he take it?”

Silence overcame him, his amber eyes darting away with a hint of anger and sadness. He felt it was right to snatch up the child in hopes his life would be spared. He, in the meantime, kept screaming he was a “devil hound” stealing him away. The struggles proved tiresome, and the kid was winning. It was, technically, his reason for their falling into the river. As remorseful as he felt about it, he secretly felt the boy deserved the blame. There was that possibility he was too far in darkness to care if he lived or died. His screams of help were painful to hear, but he kept spouting out nasty names for Entei. He let the boy drown, one of his newly-added skeletons.

But no one else needed to know that.

Groudon, though he was still furious over the beast's stubbornness, found himself bowing his head in respect. His husky voice grew quiet, almost into wordless growls. “It doesn't matter what happened to that boy, or even that you didn't bother to strive for Lavaridge. There are still people and Pokémon out there in danger. Don't they matter right now?”

Mutely, they agreed. Their job still had yet to be halted or deemed a failure. They had hope the earth and its remaining inhabitants would be spared. Parting ways to return to duty, they prayed they and their fellow Legendaries would be successful. If they win the battle, everything will get better.

In their hearts, however, they knew this was not meant to be. Everyone was to fail. It was living they were worried about. Each of them had a similar question they wanted answered:

Were they fated to live, or die with the world?

Upon happening across the boy's body, Entei couldn't help losing his faith.

*~*~*

Oceans heated up from the amount of volcanic activity and landing meteorites, cooking their inhabitants alive and setting sea vessels on fire. Kyogre and Manaphy were protected from the rise in temperature, but they wished they weren't, the young one especially. Before their eyes, they watched their beloved sea creatures, the ones they were to protect, burn from the inside out as their blood boiled, a few even exploding from the pressure. Others were drowning from the rising sea as the cause of melting ice; some were carried away by the enormous waves or sucked into deeper waters by opening faults. Slowly, but steadily, the sea was dying.

The waters weren't meant to disappear, fate wouldn't allow it.. Though the ones who gave the oceans life and form were the wicked ones, it suffered. As storms and fire raked through, everything changed one way or another. If life did indeed start in the sea, then life would end in the same way. But Kyogre knew better. There were creatures who weren't meant to adapt to water, and those died off first. Any human or earth-bound Pokémon trapped at sea was doomed to their watery graves, it was inevitable. The sea's inhabitants, in the meantime, while they could take the waves tossing them to and fro, could not survive at depths their bodies couldn't handle or the rise in temperature. Some dared to take refuge on land (as there were few who could) only to end up cornered by tremendous earthquakes. However, there were others who accepted their fate and went quietly without a fight. The ones who watched them go called them crazy, and selfishly tried to save themselves.

They could only go so far by sea.

And only rescue, evacuation, and guardianship could do so much.

Manaphy wailed from his seat on Kyogre's head, body absorbing the raindrops naturally and healing the burn marks. The whale let him cry; he could shed tears forever and not become dehydrated as long as he was in contact with water. While he himself was tempted to weep, his pride wouldn't allow him. (His reputation argued that if anyone, mainly Groudon, saw him cry, he would never let him live it down.) He could, of course, curse Arceus for everything. If he wanted to, right at that moment, he could scream into the sky.

Go ahead, let Arceus know how much you hate Him right now, his mind persisted. If it had a physical form, it was grinning evilly at him saying so. Just repeat after me: 'Damn you, Arceus. Damn it all. You lied to us, and now we pay. If you were God like you said you were, you would have prevented this.' I could go on, but I am leaving it up to you.

He could still hear the youngster atop his skull sobbing his heart out. It was enough to get him to fight the enticement. Still, the voice he could swear wasn't of his own chuckled to itself. Does not matter. He heard it anyway. Shame on you, Kyogre, for thinking about it.

In the warm waters, he shivered before the unfamiliar presence left. As frightening as it was, the titan concurred it was the truth. As a divine being, Arceus knew all. And being connected to Him in some way as a Legendary, Kyogre was in trouble.

Somewhere far off, as he stared at the buoyant, cooling corpses, the Legendary cetacean could hear distant, sinister laughter, a disturbance in the howling wind. “I win.”

The following silence as the storm passed above them was witness enough Manaphy heard it as well.

*~*~*

Forests everywhere were burning, crumbling. Pokémon screamed out in terror as they packed in herds fleeing from the danger. None, no matter how hard they tried, could escape the earthquakes, massive flames, and falling trees ripping their homes apart. It made this forest in Mount Silver no less different. Celebi and Suicune tried to lead them to safety, only to watch them be swallowed up or crushed, their hope dying with them. A young Larvitar, under the watchful eye of the Forest Guardian, wriggled through the gaps in desperate effort to flee the scene, tears filling its vision. He followed after, trying his hardest to steer him from danger and blasting boughs out of the way. The child hardly acknowledged his help, too frightened and deep in thought to notice. He just ran where his feet would carry him, obeying his mother's command to run and never look back. Hopefully, she wasn't too far behind.

Celebi, in the meantime, wanted to catch him and get him to safety. The smoke and his alertness to the perilous surroundings kept him from shooting forward and scooping the Larvitar into his arms. He was too far behind, in terms of inches, and the child wasn't paying attention. Ignoring Suicune's cries to forget it, that it wasn't worth it, he pushed himself to make it his duty to protect it. While the forests still stand, he's the guardian, and thus every inhabitant's life is in his hands. If one more soul died under his surveillance, he would never live with himself. He'd be begging Arceus to strike him dead for being a failure. And he knew that no matter how many times he'd travel back in time, he could never save them all. That perfectionist mind squirmed, causing him to crash into a tree he missed due to a blind spot.

He hissed a swear, pressing a hand to his bruised eye as he backed away. He resumed chase, letting out a swear at the space between them and the drop up ahead. The youngling was too blind with fright, it was inevitable he wasn't going to make it. Still, he was bound to his calling, and figured if he died saving the young one, then so be it. He decided to speak to him, to encourage the nestling to stay in place so he could catch up, or at least make him change route.

“Child!” he called out. “You are heading for certain death! Change direction now!”

Only one part of his planned worked. The Larvitar did hear him and stopped in his tracks, frantically looking around for the source. Misfortune chose that time to fell a tree, and Celebi only watched in horror as the child was crushed beneath the wood, the shattering of the armor sending shivers throughout his body. He screamed out in frustration and terror, swerving around and finding his way back to Suicune. She had followed him to ensure his safety, startling him out of the air when she jumped over a severed trunk.

“Damn it, Celebi, I told you it wasn't worth it!” she yelled at him, roughly nudging him with her snout. “There's nothing we can do here, we need to leave!”

Shakily, he beat his wings to float, rubbing smudge from his eyes. He took trembling breaths to steady himself. “I-I know... it's just... I can feel the forest dying.”

“The earth is dying, Celebi,” the Legendary North Wind corrected. “We all can feel it, not just to our assigned duties. Now if we don't hurry, we'll both die here. Help me find Raikou, he ran off somewhere as well.”

“Hey, sis,” he blurted from behind, out of breath.

She smacked him out of fright (but more from habit), barking out curses that made him flinch. “I swear to Arceus, Raikou, you do that again, I'll brutally murder you!” she threatened after the wave of obscenities passed. Then she curtly gestured to a direction and shot off, her brother not far behind.

Celebi did his best not to lose them from sight, but in his weakened state, it was hard to keep up. His vision started to become unfocused and watery, breathing labored, and wings tired from holding his weight up. The heat was also getting to him, drying him out the farther he staggered into the fiery forest. As tree boughs crackled and collapsed around him, he was finding it more and more difficult to side-step. Eventually, his energy depleted, and he crashed face-first into the hot dirt. He mentally screamed at himself for giving up so quickly, and struggled to stand so he could run for it. Above him came the crack of breaking wood, and he ducked his head.

She skidded to a pause and plodded back to his side, confused. “What? He's behind us, shouldn't he?”

They scanned through the smoke best they could, but couldn't see the pixie or his shadowed figure anywhere. Hissing more nasty swears, Suicune bounded off, her brother at her heels. They gracefully dodged every flame and branch threatening to keep them from finding Celebi. Because the smoke was thick the further in, they almost missed the Legendary lying motionless on the ground underneath a split trunk. They both gasped at the sight, and immediately rushed over.

“Carry him,” she told the lighting tiger just before picking him up with her teeth and dropping him onto his back.

He just frowned, staring at his limp arms. “I don't think he'll stay on very long like that,” he noted.

“Arceus damn it all,” she growled, but snatched Celebi back up and ran off. It took all her will to keep from chomping him in half while they fled through the maze of fire.

Occasionally, they ran into a dead-end, too-large an obstacle, or other Pokémon needing their help. It was painful to pass each of them, knowing their blood was on their paws for acknowledging their existence. These once-strong creatures were helpless in this certain situation. They had tried taking refuge in Mount Silver's cave, up until the entrance caved in, trapping every living thing inside. Raikou was unfortunate enough to witness the tragedy unfold as child and parent were separated or killed together. When the mighty mountain will fall, only time could tell. He secretly hoped they wouldn't see it happen.

Fate was cruel to him and his sibling to torment them as they mistakenly looked back to watch the mountain crumble, and unexpectedly become a new, temporary volcano. The earthquakes had gotten severe enough they carried the magma to the surface, flowing and creating a path to its escape. Suicune secretly cursed Celebi's unconsciousness, for he was lucky enough to not see the entire Silver Valley burn and buried by volcanic ash and rocks.

Both the Legendary Beasts wept until they were chased away by the wind-swept ash and smoke.

*~*~*

Mount Coronet fell in pride, closing up the vortex to Giratina's home world. He could care less at the moment. For now, the remaining cities were in danger, now that Coronet snatched away Eterna and Hearthome with its rock slides. Celestic Town and Oreburgh were the next closest, but he had the unshakable feeling they were already being destroyed by the earthquakes. There really was little he could do. Either way, what could he really do? A Legendary feared by all, but regarded as just a myth, would only cause more people to flee for their deaths. Fear had a funny way of affecting people as such. Feeble they were to their emotions, they were easily blinded and clouded because of them. So again, he thought, what was the point in it all?

For one thing, wasn't he supposed to be the rouge, the menace to society and the world itself? Didn't he revel in misery, agony, and death, even feed off of it? How many souls did he lure into his Distortion World so he could devour them alive? That was the curse Arceus had bestowed upon him when he was banished. He was left to fend for himself, and he chose innocent living beings as his nourishment, a sadistic entertainment in hopes of striking fear in the hearts of many and give him dreams to reflect on. It was enjoyable for a while, at least until he eradicated Team Galactic. After the last member's bones were picked clean and his soul destined for Hell, Giratina found himself unable to sleep for weeks on end, haunted by his past deeds and plagued with endless nightmares. He literally had to beg Darkrai and Cresselia to disband the dreams and ensure him a peaceful rest for up to a few decades. It only lasted five years.

With the belief he was going insane, the demon spent more time out of his dimension in the hopes the spirits trapped there would eventually leave. No, once he stepped foot outside, he was barraged by restless souls he never touched. Since he could see them, they came to him for help or, as time went on, to curse him. They would follow him for miles before new ones took their place—a never-ending cycle. Everywhere he turned, Giratina would see at least one in the streets staring blankly at him, spiritual eyes piercing through him. It was a frightening experience, he secretly admitted, but more-so when the encountered soul was one of wicked intentions. Those ones were nearly unbearable to even glance at.

The longer he watched the destruction below, the more the sea of shimmering spirits grew. Some left for the other side, but others lingered, whether by their free will or because they were earth-bound. He could easily point out the good from the bad, had it not been the dark auras quickly over-taking them and shielding away the innocent from his sight. But as evil as they were, they all did the most peculiar thing: they all lifted their eyes to the sky. The dragon was sure they all were watching him, but only a few seemed to notice he was there. He shivered under their stares, but the curious behavior captivated him. Could he talk to them, he'd swoop down to the closest spirit and ask what they were doing and why.

His thoughts were interrupted by Palkia's booming voice as he rushed for his side—literally—pushing him over. He instinctively growled, shoving back. “What the hell is your problem?!” he snapped, baring his teeth.

“Me? What about you?” the bipedal gargantuan snorted. “Didn't you hear me? I just said my share of protection failed, everyone and everything is destroyed.”

It was predictable, Giratina knew he didn't have the power of protection for what remained of the south-western part of Sinnoh. If the radiation poisoning didn't kill everyone, the natural disasters must have. With a cold sneer, he retorted back, “And did you do a damn thing about it at all?”

“How could I? There's hardly anything left down there!” Palkia spat off to the side. “That bomb did more damage than what Mother Nature is offering. She's been more merciful to end mortality. Now how about you?” and he gestured with his head at what remained of Mount Coronet. “Did you do a damn thing about it all, now that we're on topic? Or did the bomb save you the energy?”

As tempted as he was to swing his massive tail at his smug expression, Giratina stood his ground. “I lost everything, so you tell me,” he growled, crimson eyes sparking to life.

“Oh, boo-hoo, I did too when Spear Pillar collapsed.” The space dragon's tone of voice sounded very sarcastic, it nearly boiled the rebel's blood. “That was two months ago, but guess what? I got over it. It can be rebuilt, and I'm sure the Distortion World can as well. Now stop your whining and get to work.”

“What work?” came the hiss, causing Palkia to recoil slightly. “We may be Legendaries and working our asses off trying to save everything and everyone, even to the point where we die, but who's going to congratulate us and give us a memorial when we're gone and everything's fine and dandy? Nobody! Don't you see, Sherlock, it's done for! Not even you, Dialga, or Arceus Himself can fix this or prevent it from happening. Once the world forgot us, it destroyed itself, and this is coming from someone who would have destroyed the world had it not been for you bastards sealing me away. Doesn't that raise a red flag to you or something, huh? I saw this coming from miles away, but I did nothing. What could I do except help guide dead people to where they're supposed to go. You can't see what I'm seeing right now, and what I do see is not very pleasant. I'm sure that if you had my eyes, you'd be having a whole different attitude right now.”

“Oh, being all moody and broody about everything?”

Had it not been for Dialga coming into the picture with his own bad news, Giratina would have pounced on the Space Guardian and ripped him to shreds. “Oh, come off it, you two, this is no time to fight,” he intervened, pushing away the renegade with his tail.

“To hell with it, everything's downhill from here!” Giratina roared, his gold-plated head glinting when he whirled around to face the newcomer. “Why should you care?! It's not like Sinnoh is going to implode any further than it already is!”

Chewing his lip, the Time Guardian averted his gaze. “Well... that's the problem...”

Immediately, their faces fell, and the demonic wings wilted. “What...?”

“Um... remember those legends about Spear Pillar... that it's the source of Sinnoh's very origin?”

“What about it?” Palkia spoke up worriedly. “Are you saying it's a catalyst as well?”

If Dialga had actual shoulders, he'd be shrugging them. “Well, not really, but... Okay, you know those meteorites? Well, while they're affecting more of Hoenn and parts of Johto, and Kanto is having its own problems, Sinnoh, being so up north as it is, shouldn't be touched by those things.”

“Then what the hell explains the earthquakes?” Giratina huffed, wanting his rival to get on with it.

“It took two months for whatever reason for the full effect, even though I have heard from Uxie the continent has been going through some harsh times.” The ghostly being snorted, rolling his eyes. “Well, ever since Spear Pillar was destroyed, it's been... err...”

Abruptly, the smallest of them roared out a nasty expletive, which in turn brought their attention, the Renegade Legendary especially. “Whoa, Palkia! What the hell?!”

Waving his claws around, he apologized, then said, “That explains the fault line running through Sinnoh! It's breaking apart!”

“YOU SERIOUS?!”

“It's going to separate, maybe even sink into the sea!”

A fierce Aura Sphere was sent blasting into the earth beneath them, startling the others. “DAMN IT! Dialga, where's the Lake Trio, Cresselia and Darkrai?! Do they know of this?!”

“We do now,” and Azelf made himself known, dragging his siblings behind him with Darkrai not far off.

The Alpha Legendaries gaped at the damage done to them, even though it wasn't as gruesome as Rayquaza's were. The Lake Trio were equally covered in scratches and a few open wounds, though one of Azelf's gems was missing from the tail, resulting in a bleeding hole. Mesprit wasn't hurt like her brothers, but her silent tears and blank stares gave hints of emotional damage. Uxie had a grim cut running down his face that looked to be sloppily healed, and was missing the end of a tail. Darkrai, in the meantime, looked horrible. His wavy cloud-like hair was matted and uneven, the bangs nearly gone from his face. The spiked collar of his was in ruin with tips ripped off or cracked, and his cloak torn almost to shreds. His hands were covered in blood, and it was obvious his left arm was broken. It was also possible he had gone blind in one eye. Being in the amount of pain he was in, it was astonishing he could still transport himself around.

Uxie spoke up in their behalf. “We didn't do as well as we hoped. Everything has given up on us.” He tilted his head up at Dialga. “Sinnoh's life has come to an end, and yet we still live. How is that possible?”

The diamond-clad dragon only shook his head. “I'm not sure. We may have suffered mortal damage, but we still stand. It's almost... unnatural.”

“Considering that we're living beings and are connected to our homeland, it's logical we die with it.”

“That's true with the other regions, right?” the phantom inquired, careful not to disturb his injured arm when he grasped it in place.

“It should, anyway.”

Palkia looked around at the horizons, frowning. “Was Cresselia ever with one of you, by any chance?”

“We haven't seen her fly with us since we passed Evergrande,” Azelf thought back, searching as well. “I was too caught up in my duty to even think of it.”

“How about Shaymin? Did you find her?”

They all shook their heads except for Darkrai, whose expression faded into solemnity. He glanced around briefly, his good eye flashing in a pulse-like manner. It made their hearts leap at the sight and from his quiet voice. “I'm sensing some fear not too far off. It must be hers.”

“You sure it's not a human's or regular Pokémon?” Dialga made sure, though he knew it wasn't the case.

“No. The aura's too familiar. It has to be her.”

“Where's it coming from? Lead us there.”

With a quick nod, the phantom swooped to the right, racing for the direction of Solaceon. The others immediately followed suit, swallowing their worry in ready to pass the destruction. Giratina took a swift peek at the souls below, flinching when groups made eye-contact. What if they were to come up to him down there? What goes through the mind of a spirit, if one dared call it a mind? Would any of them recognize him in the meantime and give blame? He didn't know why he, a villainous character himself, was fretting over such a thing. For all he knew, it was the thought of Sinnoh splitting that was making him skittish about it. That could be it.

The group reached ground within minutes, and Darkrai began shuffling through the rubble with his good arm, encouraging the others to do so. They shrank at the sight of bodies and blood, but turned away to resume their searching. Finally, Mesprit gave a cry of success and grief. “Shaymin, oh Shaymin, wake up!”

Everyone dropped what they held and rushed to the fairy's side, gaping at the unconscious hedgehog. Her flowers were completely demolished, there were bald patches on her grassy back, and it was apparent a leg was shattered. She was having respiratory problems from being buried for so long and (Uxie guessed) of a broken rib. The Emotion Legendary shed more tears as she screamed out her name like it would revive her. She only ceased when her brothers yelled in her ear to “snap out of it and get to healing” in which she did so to the best of her current status.

Giratina had been shivering violently the whole time since he landed, trying to keep his focus on the pitiful scene before him. The urges pricking at the back of his mind, however, made him insane enough he spun around to face a small gathering throng of the deceased. They stood feet away, staring into his eyes with a look that froze his senses and held him in place. One of them stepped forward, identifiable as a young girl no younger than eight clothed in white robes much like the others were in, but were too large on her. Her large eyes broke something cold inside of him when they crossed visions. He was sure her body was mangled somewhere beneath debris, so why her spirit had to be free of scars and afflictions of any kind was beyond him. She then spoke in a melancholy, echoing tone:

“Why did we have to die? What did we do wrong?”

His peers were taken aback by the sudden show of tears forming, looking around him to see nothing but a city of ruin. Darkrai, however, was focused on the small girl standing at the foot of Giratina, frowning up at him. He forced himself to look away and scoop up the motionless body of Shaymin.

“That's enough, she'll live,” he gruffly told Mesprit. “We need to leave. Someone needs to tell Giratina that.” Having said what was needed, he took off for the south.

Palkia gave the spaced-out Legendary a light smack to the head, though he barely flinched. “Hey, let's go. We'll grieve later.”

“H-How will we know when the region's... split?” the pink fairy sniffled, clinging to her brothers.

“When you live in one area long enough, you grow attached to it to the point it grows within your heart and soul,” her wise sibling muttered, head bowed. “As protectors of Sinnoh, we have a special connection to its life-source. We'll know when it does. We'll be feeling it at roughly the same time.” He let out a sorrowful sigh. “If we could feel the origin collapse, then surely we can feel the end.” Tugging at Mesprit's hand, he led the way with Azelf's permission.

Palkia tried again to get his rival's attention. “Yo, we're leaving. Didn't you hear me?”

Even though he was still at attention with the girl, Giratina managed a nod, finally getting his wings to work. Painfully, he looked away, not bothering to steal a glance at the other Legendaries, and took flight behind the Lake Trio. Steadily, the presences of gazes lessened the further and higher he traveled until it only left a dull pang of guilt in his core. Secretly, he was grateful everyone was keeping to themselves the whole time, so he was left to his own thoughts. The time spent was in vain struggles to get the words out of memory so he could focus on everything else.

It was around the moment they flew into Hoenn territory that one by one, each Sinnoh Legendary paused in mid-flight, contracting a terrible wave of nausea when their hearts felt like they burst. Mesprit quaked with tears and had to be supported by her siblings, falling limp in their arms. Shaymin, who had awaken sometime ago and was struggling against Darkrai's hold and crying for release, grew silent, bowing her head. Being the most cold-hearted of them all, Giratina even found himself choking back a sob.

Indeed, his mind finally reluctantly agreed, what did we do wrong?

He, alongside with everyone else, felt a part of his soul die with his homeland.

Hatred destroyed the many cities Mewtwo visited. However, not even that could cause buildings to crumble to dust in mere seconds. It made people scream in agonized rage, but never in agonized horror. It murdered people in numerous ways, yet the way these people died, not even scheming killers could brew them up. There was no hope for them; the earth swallowed them up by the dozens with each tremor, buildings buried them deep in rubble, others were merely trampled on by the fleeing crowds.

The clone teleported from city to city in an effort to save the citizens from their impending doom, only to arrive too late. Destruction reigned as panic and death spread like a plague. Screams filled the air, crying out to the heavens for mercy just to be silenced by falling construction and consumption of the ground. Cities and towns that lived by the sea or a volcano suffered even worse fates. Shore-bound metropolises broke off with the cliffs, plunging its screaming inhabitants into the deep. Others below sea level were swept away without a trace. Those unfortunate enough to be built near volcanoes were burned down by the expelling lava, or suffocated by the ash heavily raining down on them. They were all gruesome deaths. And after all the many times of witnessing bloody battles and individuals killing each other off, Mewtwo still couldn't bear the sight of such massacres, even surveying helplessly from afar.

After each failed attempt to save a person or city or town, his willingness to rescue them slowly gave up. When he reached Viridian City, the one place he vowed to never set foot in again, he chose to inertly watch it burn and fall to its knees in the quakes. He grew used to the screams, only flinching whenever he heard the short-lived, but unforgettable shriek of a child. It was cold-hearted to allow it to happen, he was aware of it. Nevertheless, he felt the city had to be destroyed, it had it coming. The terrible influences Team Rocket and other secret combinations left behind degraded a beautiful city to violent trash: a dark shadow of its former self. Mewtwo heard awful stories of what was happening, mainly of what the public media was hiding backstage. Viridian had to be one of the most disgusting places on the planet. As much as it looked lovely on the outside, it concealed more evil secrets than even Celadon or Goldenrod could. Pallet Town, had it not been caught downwind of the spreading wickedness, would have disowned the city as a neighbor.

The longer Mewtwo remained in place, the harder it was to tear his eyes from the devastation. It was wrong to say they deserved it; no one deserves to die horrible deaths, not even his mortal enemies. But the sight of this large city falling to ruins was too incredible not to watch. Never did he believe it would end like this, and he always knew Viridian was to be wiped out. It happened slowly and painfully, the fires taking their time to burn everything and everyone to stubble, the earth tormenting them with numerous earthquakes, and opening up where they least expected it. It was something out of a movie (and there were many that dealt with worldly destruction), but more of a documentary. They weren't acting, no special effects were being used to make the ground undulate and knock people off their feet, nor were there exploding buildings.

This was real. Movies could never capture the true emotions running through the citizens' faces, could never perfectly record and imitate the screams from a soul. Actors, as hard as they would try, would not come even close.

Real, normal people ran and pleaded for mercy deep in the city below. Real, normal people died in the fires and debris.

There came a long, horrified feminine scream of a name, drowning out the other screams and grabbing Mewtwo's attention. It was from the heart, the mourn of a loved one: a husband, boyfriend, or brother. The way it sounded and echoed, the named man was killed suddenly. He didn't wish to check it out even though this lone person was now of his own thoughts. From what he could hear of her continuing wails, she was an innocent victim, a good person. She was different from the surrounding wicked beings. Even though he or she could still mourn the loss of a loved one, the heart would not project out a pulse of energy like this human's did. He felt in that one word her love for him, the fear of forever losing him in the afterlife... the break of a bond.

Then, like the crack of a whip, her cries ended abruptly. Others filled its place, but hers never resounded. The pulse dissolved, and his senses returned. He didn't have to fly down there to know what had happened. How she died, he didn't wish to know.

Mewtwo found himself shivering where he hovered, a good reason for him to turn his back on the city. The screams didn't bother him now, not while they were forever engraved in his memories.

It seemed right that no one deserved death of any kind. But the decision was final.

Viridian was left to die.

*~*~*

The Tree was dying, despite it being the life of the world. The rebellion happening throughout the land was killing it, forcing it to drastically begin absorbing away the auras of others. Its inhabitants, usually immune to its feeding, felt the drainage hitting them hard, and were slowly tasting death. Tell-tale bloody glows from the crystals signified a malfunction in the Tree, but many were more concerned about their life than their home.

Inside the Heart, Mew was trying her very hardest to stabilize it—if she managed to even touch the crystals. It made little sense why it was refusing to heal, she had gotten there before the power surge went off the charts. It was like her interference was making it worse, even though lack of aura caused it to go haywire. As far as she knew, the planet-wide destruction was abruptly ending too many lives for the Tree to replenish itself. It had no choice but to use a back-up source.

Being immortal, Mew was untouched from the life-sucking veins deep in the earth. Her neighbors, on the other hand, were starting to drop dead, living sacrifices to the greed that belonged to the Tree of Beginning. As powerful as she was, there wasn't a chance she would take back control and restore everything to normal. Once the Tree went berserk, it dictated itself. She was left with no other options but to try and destroy it, even if it meant destroying the world. Unfortunately, to kill the Heart, she needed to take control of the main crystal and throw it into reverse, thus spitting out its life-source of aura. And the Tree wasn't allowing her.

“Damn it!” she swore when the crystal backfired the umpteenth time, propelling her to the ground. Covered in burns, she picked herself up, wincing at the stings. She glared directly at it, eyes long adjusted to the crimson light it emitted. “It's out of control. It won't respond to my aura.”

Glancing to a nearby shard, she locked on to the old pair of gloves that remained in their place since the last time the Tree needed to heal. Its living sacrifices were still embroidered into a cracked crystallized wall nearby, scars she had nearly forgotten about until now. Like a fever, the dying Tree was giving off intense amounts of heat from underneath the earth's surface. It wouldn't be long before the Heart melts or breaks, carrying the two imprisoned souls with it.

She wasn't close to the other side as Darkrai and Giratina, but she could feel presences of spirits from time to time. There were few deaths in the Tree alone, so these two were especially felt, mainly in the room where they died for the sake of the world. Left undisturbed for many centuries—about a whole millennium for Sir Aaron—in the belief their bodies were frozen in time, Mew was upset when the walls had begun cracking, afraid it would split them apart like a puzzle. The gloves that belonged to the man were left untouched for their memory, the sacred monument she forbade others to disturb. As much as she didn't want to, the lingering spirits were pressurizing her to pick them up. It would allow her immortality to open up and use her aura to heal the Tree.

Hesitantly, she inched for the gloves, reverently scooping them into her tiny paws. Thoughts of concern about size differences clouded her mind until the demands telling her to put them on pushed them out. She obeyed, and an ancient power began snaking through her veins. Taking a deep breath, Mew flew back to the main crystal hands held out, concentrating on discharging her aura. Almost immediately, her arms shook, and the gloves started to glow a blue-green in the jewel.

“Yes, yes!” she breathed excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes. It's working!

Her expectations, however, were too great. Even though the aura blasted out as a translucent bubble, expanding the more her aura collected, when it covered the crystals and the beam of light, the rejection resorted into a reversal. The force of the aura being quickly sucked back into her body shoved a breathless Mew into the wall, right onto the cracks and cut open her back, the shards embedding into the wounds. Upon impact, the crystals shattered then disintegrated to ash. She landed on her stomach, shivering from her affliction and helplessly watching the entire wall fall apart before her eyes. When it came to the destruction of the heroes' graves, she turned away, pressing her forehead to the hot, glassy floor. The presences of their spirits were immediately gone when the wall was demolished, which developed an icy sickness to spread throughout her heart. As much as the Legendary wanted to remain on the ground to mourn for the loss, the intense heat caused her to shoot up away from it. In puffs of dust, the area where she laid was disposed.

Gasping, Mew looked around the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the scattered destruction inch for the crystals, the beginning of the Tree's death. There was no other resort left she could use to save it now, not when it was futile.

She needed to escape while she could.

Flying out of the chamber without a backward glance, the feline entered into dangerous territory. With the Heart slowly being killed, the Tree was scheduled to collapse. Time was running out. All around her, crystal spires fell to ruin, and from the distance, Pokémon gave off their last feeble cries. An earthquake then occurred while she was in a tunnel, causing a cave in. Mew swerved for another entrance to avoid it, but her tail got caught in the rock slide with a crunch. She crashed to the ground, pinned. Looking up, she saw one of the white blood cells in the form of a Lileep round the corner, charging for her. She screamed when it snatched her with its tentacles, attempting to swallow her at the risk of tearing off her crushed tail.

She was half-way in when it suddenly exploded, its gelatinous remains absorbing into the ground. Gasping for breath, Mew glanced up to see Jirachi levitating above her, eyes illuminating a pleasant blue. “Jirachi!” she sobbed, reaching up for him. “Oh, thank Arceus you're here!”

“Mew, what was that thing?” he asked, descending to grasp her out-stretched paw. “What happened, you okay?”

She shook her head. “I think my tail's broken.” She glanced back at her trapped appendage. “The Tree's falling apart, I can't do a thing. I tried to fix it, but it got way out of control. A-And normally its immune system doesn't attack Pokémon.”

“Can you Teleport out?”

“The Tree won't let me, not while it's feeding.”

The Wish Maker turned his attention to the mound of rocks, the blue veil over his oculars glowing more brilliantly. “Duck and cover,” he warned, pressing an arm to his chest.

Mew did as she was told, and Jirachi swung the limb around. Within seconds, the pile detonated, leaving behind rubble. Floating forward, he placed his hands at the back of her neck, and slid them down to the bulge of her tail. “Healing Wish,” he whispered, and her body glowed a soft silver.

The small feline gave a faint whimper from the shards removing themselves from her skin, burns cooling as they vanished, shattered bones setting themselves back in place and reshaping the appendage to normal. When the healing process was completed, the glow faded. Pleased with his work, Jirachi picked her up, and dusted her off. “Lead the way.”

Giving him a quick hug, she took his hand and they flew down the tunnel. She luckily found a shortcut the moment they spotted another cell (this time a Kabutops) speeding for them, and the star-shaped Legendary was pushed through it before she entered. It was a vein inside an actual tree, the orbs floating upward the same crimson red as everything else. They used them as a fast get-away until Mew spotted an exit and lead an awed Jirachi out into the open. The two fled for the clearing ahead of them, gaping at the wastelands beneath them.

“There was a beautiful forest here,” she sadly said, recalling the times she would sit on a cliff and gaze out at the prospering green. “Being so close to the Tree of Beginning, it flourished like no other forest.” When they were out far enough, she then paused in mid-flight, whirling around to face her last home, her companion mimicking.

It was an unbelievable sight compared to what was happening inside. The Tree was a rock formation covered in real, living trees. At night, if it was healthy enough, one would see the glow from the crystals, giving it the color of leaves even from afar. But as they watched, only Mew knew the actual difference between then and now. The grayed Tree looked diseased letting off a bloody light, slowly dimming as the crystals inside dissolved one by one. The damage done by severe earthquakes had caused the rock to crumble and disfigure, leaving bare spots in one area, but a complete platform on the other. The elevation had been dramatically cut as a result, and it continued to decline as little by little it steadily began to fall. They couldn't hear from where they were, but the guardian knew its inhabitants were crying for help. Dark clouds coming from the Tree were the fleeing Pokémon who were blessed to fly. The falling souls that had grown too weak from their home's gorging looked like rain.

Jirachi, as confused and frightened as he was, couldn't take his watery eyes off the scene. “Mew...” His voice caught, and he had to swallow a few times to continue. “Mew, is this what the end of the world looks like?”

Her head solemnly bowed at the question. She wouldn't say the answer even if she wanted to. Their tears were enough.

*~*~*

Ho-oh let the wind carry him throughout the world, to mournfully survey the destruction. It was as he feared and envisioned would happen. Despite people saying the world would burn with hellfire, they weren't even close. Yes, some cities and lands did burn, but it wasn't from Hell that he knew of. The fires were caused either by lightning, lava flows, or the fall of buildings. With the exception of the buildings, which were man-made, everything was of nature's own doing. Hell had no control over nature, it never did. Neither did they.

Had the controls been given to them, they could have prevented this. Ho-oh could have saved Ecruteak from burning. Alas, it was not so. It was as though the city was destined to go down in flames. What, did a prophet foretell its damned destruction, or a gypsy jinxed it? Did he and Lugia, by some sheer chance, leave a curse, a sign to the people when the first Tin Tower burned? What had the people done to deserve it?

...he knew the answer. They were idolatrous, more than any other city in Johto, but just as idolatrous as those in Sinnoh. They worshiped him and Lugia before they switched to another idol, and eventually to another. As much as he enjoyed the attention, Ho-oh knew it was wrong. Even after it plagued his heart and thoughts and got him to believe he was a god, he still knew. Arceus may have created him, gave him a special role in life, made him immortal, but he was not even close to a god. Creating Suicune, Entei, and Raikou didn't give him that authority, it never did. The three may look to him as such, but he still wasn't. He had been meaning to tell them the truth, to right the wrong. Why did he have to procrastinate?

Because they looked up to him.

And the people feared him.

It made him realize too little too late that he was the one responsible for the burning of Ecruteak. He could have been the savior, but he was the destroyer for refusing to give up his title as a god. When they forgot him and went to someone else, he made the mistake of thinking everything was fine and dandy because he wasn't involved in their lives anymore. No, their new gods were even lower on the totem pole, and that made things worse.

He came to that conclusion when he arrived to see a microburst develop over the city. Strong winds began blowing off the rooftops, the heavy downpour caused a flash flood, and lightning struck every few seconds. A few powerful tornadoes had even swept through at different times, up until the Tin Tower caught on fire from the storm. Then the earthquakes hit. Ho-oh had watched the tower fall over the city, the flames spreading everywhere. People unlucky enough to be caught outside were set aflame if they weren't carried by the twisters or washed away. To put some out of their mercy, the ground would split and swallow them up as though sending them down to Hell itself. Others decided to jump into the waters only to drown. The horrified screams and pleading cries from the citizens, young and old, were enough to tell the phoenix Ecruteak was doomed from the start, that he was not meant to be there. So with a painful heart, he left it to die.

Just like he left everything else to die.

He chose to circle the globe and watch the horrific events take place, knowing he wouldn't die, and neither would the other Legendaries. They were all immortal, and because of that, they wouldn't perish from something such as this. Unless the world imploded beneath them, they could survive for years on end without the necessities. Food and water would be an option; they'd feel the need, but they'd live. It was a wonder he pondered over the past two months as to why Mew refused to eat. For all he knew, she always did, making it more of a habit than a necessity. His understanding of immortality was not having the need for the necessities, but the desire was an option. She wouldn't die from lack of food, but her desire to not eat wasn't what was killing her either. No, there was something else affecting her will to live. Stress? Anxiety? The world's impact?

Ho-oh paused in mid-air, staring down at the wastelands underneath of what he believed to be Orre—or what was left of it. It had always been a desert wasteland, but when the war happened and all the regions went to battle on the land, everything was demolished. Deserts didn't look like deserts anymore, not after all the bombs, radiation, and carnage. It was more or less of a graveyard lacking the tombstones, the dark side of the moon... the ugly side of man. The few cities and towns were more likely wiped off the face of the earth. It was strange how the destruction of Earth was hardly affecting what had happened here. Believable or not, Orre did the dirty work on themselves.

“So... this is the region who bombed us.”

The phoenix didn't have to crane his neck to look at Uxie. He figured by the sound of his voice, he was feeling regretful. Head bowed as he pitifully gazed down with his mind's eye at the remaining land of Orre, the fairy quietly spoke again, a tail flicking. “What was I thinking giving humans their intelligence, when it was obvious they would use that knowledge to expand their weapons and wicked ways? How was I supposed to know they'd build killing machines to infiltrate and take land? Or that they would make harmful drugs and man-made diseases when they are able to create medicine for sicknesses? Even science was never meant to take over man, but they abused it for selfish purposes, even just to rule over them. What was meant to be good has led these people to do evil and their self-destruction. Dear Arceus, what was I thinking...”

Ho-oh nodded slowly, turning around to face the crowd of Legendaries behind him, Psychics holding those earthbound or weakened with their powers. They were all exhausted, some covered in agonizing injuries while others held a traumatizing look of sadness and fear. The feeling of failure hovered around them, pressing down on the guardians with a sense of guilt. All of them knew they could have done better, could have actually prevented such a terrible tragedy from happening. Not one of them needed to speak (if they had the will to) for the Sky Guardian to know the final outcome.

They have failed.

*~*~*

Phew, just in time for Photography class .

Just to let you all know, I HATED this chapter when I was writing it months ago, there was so much writer's block...

Gosh, this was long! X.x But I enjoyed it. I like how you really had it hit home that the entire world was "breaking", from each legendary's account on the matter in different areas. The detail, again, was magnificent. I can see how you'd have writer's block - there was a lot of detail and throwback to the movies all the legendaries were a part of.

That's something I forgot to mention in my first review, that throwback. I like how you make everything fit into place with the events of the movies, and even Pokedex entries. Each legendary has ALL of their powers, not just one or two aspects. It's very "full", if you get what I mean. XD
Anyway, great work!

Encyclopika:
Made the banner
Is a GIRL. >.>;;
Has a deviantART account and a Tumblr
Is on Fanfiction.net.Need a moveset for a specific Pokemon for a specific contest? PM me!
Don't reply to my infractions. It's not gonna change anything.
Random friend requests do nothing. Let's actually talk first. >_<

Funny thing, I have not watched all the movies (nor do I have the Generation IV games). I watched up to number eight, then skipped to ten after hearing how freakin' awesome Darkrai was. But I did not watch the tenth movie until LONG after this chapter was finished. So I have no idea how number nine, eleven and twelve go at all. If I had managed to make comebacks to either of those three, then it must be I'm a HUGE Pokéaddict and should take a break from the laptop for a long time. But we all know that's not going to happen x).

Though I have looked up just about all the Legendaries (mostly Sinnoh) on Bulbapedia so I can get them right when it comes to... attacks and attitudes in a way. With exception of Deoxys, Lugia, and Entei. So... I guess it still counts xD.

Encyclopika:
Made the banner
Is a GIRL. >.>;;
Has a deviantART account and a Tumblr
Is on Fanfiction.net.Need a moveset for a specific Pokemon for a specific contest? PM me!
Don't reply to my infractions. It's not gonna change anything.
Random friend requests do nothing. Let's actually talk first. >_<

Deoxys held back a snicker, catching the others' attentions. Had he a visible mouth, he would be grinning awkwardly. “Sorry, it's just funny the way she said it,” he giggled. “Sounds like Mewtwo f'ed up big time. Possibly both figuratively and literally...”

Lol, such personailty. love it.

He, alongside with everyone else, felt a part of his soul die with his homeland.

A powerful way to end it. just so awsome.

Anyway i'll review the first part, i still have the read the second part. its soo long. but i think i can handle it. i love that you gave each lengendary pokemon a interesting personailty. it makes the story more interesting and to the plot.

I don't normally read pokemon fics(since im more of a anime pokemon fan) but this is one story i can make a exception for. =3 Keep up the good work.

Encyclopika: I was hoping so, though I could have sworn I had forgotten something xD.

midnightjewelz: Thanks! I happen to love Deoxys' snarky personality as well, even if he's such a pervert XD. He's just so fun to write out, I feel it's a crime to giggle at every single line of his. It's okay, take your time reading chapter four, I didn't expect you or anyone else to read it all in one sitting, and I don't want you to think you have to rush. I'm not planning on updating until later this afternoon or tomorrow, maybe this weekend, not sure yet. Just take your time ^^.

When the next chapter comes, I think you'll be happier with it, and then the seriousness comes, so enjoy it while you can. Oh, and by the end of this chapter, it'll have some religious principles, just letting you know.

*~*~*~*

Chapter Five:Chance of Redemption

“Adam fell that men might be...”
-- 2 Nephi 2:25

*~*~*

It was quiet. That was the first thing they all noticed when everything subsided at long last. The morning sun shed gray rays of light across the dark land when it slowly rose as though afraid to gaze down at the damage. No songs of greeting sounded in the desolation, no rustling of wildlife. Cities and towns didn't begin to bustle and buzz with human speech, no child ran outside with shrieks of delight. There came no breeze as if it knew there were hardly any surviving trees to pick it up. Gurgling streams were stopped, and the oceans were still. The clouds remained true to their schedules, floating by without a care and innocently white. And in some parts of the world, a light rain fell.

Other than that, the world was empty.

Billions upon billions of creatures great and small had roamed, lived, and walked upon the earth. Now, only thirty-three remained to wander the planet aimlessly, having survived the nightmare they wished was as such: a terrible dream.

The whole face of the land was changed, continents were morphed into different shapes or split into two. Islands disappeared or came to existence by fire. Seas filled gaps and were drained to make room for land. Mountains had fallen and new ones rose to take their place. Valleys collapsed and others carved out. Forests were demolished, yet there were still trees that were spared to carry on the legacy. Scattered throughout the world were ruins of marvelous cities and artifacts, remnants of a previous life.

The Legendaries, tired, cold, and ill from the events of yesterday, spread out to the corners of the earth, trying to pinpoint locations they knew by heart and searching for survivors. No word was spoken between any two of them, they all kept to themselves as they ventured off individually. Many started for their homelands, others chose to drift around without a real purpose other than to see the damage.

Such was the act of Celebi, who weakly fluttered about desperately for a patch of green in the world of monochrome, briefly reviving places he felt needed a second chance. Groudon trudged around, unable to admire the expansion of land like he would have centuries past. The only changes he made were filling in deep fissures and leveling out ground where he walked. Suicune and her siblings, too exhausted to run, gaited along without a thought, burying corpses if they came across any, and occasionally cleaning the water. Darkrai and Giratina brooded in silence, staring at the crowds of spirits about them. While a majority kept their distance, a brave few approached for answers, getting the silent treatment in return. Mew returned to where the Tree of Beginning once stood, finding no evidence it was ever there. Her clone arrived at Mount Quena, only to discover it had caved in, the underground lake and its inhabitants buried deep below. Latios and Latias scrutinized the waters for their beloved home, the dead Soul Dew still in their possession as a last reminder of what they had done. The Legendary Birds soared over the Johto and Kanto continents, mourning at the destruction below; the Lake Trio looked over their own continent homeland for the same reason.

Ho-oh remained on the land of Orre, staring at the never-ending spread of bodies and gray. He had refused to budge from his perch since his brethren and sisters gathered around with the horrible news. They had rested on the cursed wasteland until the tempest blew over and everyone had their strength back. Mesprit and Jirachi did their best to heal wounds and broken bones while they waited it out, but they were unable to restore Rayquaza's eye, Uxie's severed tail, Azelf's gem, and a few others.

(Regirock, being composed of all rock, was perfectly capable of reconstructing himself with boulders and other rocks, but he needed the extra help, having lost all his limbs in a terrible landslide according to his brothers. “And he's just so damn picky about what kinds of rocks he wants!” Regice had complained when everyone went to gather the needed parts. “They have to be 'precise' or he won't 'function properly', so he says.”)

Through it all, his heart bled and died with the world until the last mortal heartbeat faded away. It was then he stopped caring, unable to cry or grieve for the doomed souls. While everyone else huddled in a group, he tore himself away to be alone.

As the lonely hours painfully ticked by, Ho-oh found himself angry. He was mad at the world for killing its inhabitants when there were still good people left. What had they done to deserve such punishment meant for the wicked? Why weren't the good and righteous swept away into the heavens before the destruction came? It was what they talked about what would happen at the end of the world. How could they be deceived to believe such ideologies written out as a promise? He himself believed those things after listening in on prayers to an unseen being, he looked forward to seeing it come to pass. Whose sick idea of a joke was it to put false hope in those people?

His venomous thoughts expanded, cursing everything and anything he could think of. He was mad at the thought that Earth continued to rotate a full day like nothing happened. Along with it, he cursed the sun for daring to show its face, cursed the moon and stars for watching their neighbor's destruction—may they die horrible deaths. Then he grew upset at the Legendaries for failing in their Arceus-given duties to prevent such a disaster. They all had that potential, but became greedy about their powers. If they ever did the job correctly, it was for their own benefit, to get the lesser to respect them. Oh, they got their respect, all right...

Lastly, Ho-oh was angry at himself. Why, he couldn't figure it out. He was too distracted blaming everything else to bother searching for the answer as to why he would hate himself. Not like it mattered, they all had part of the blame. Wasn't that thoughtful enough?

Not far from where he sat, the Legendaries banded together to report their searches, leaving the phoenix to sulk for the moment. After everyone was accounted for, Shaymin in her Sky Forme gave her gathered information. “I may have only walked about the eastern... half of Sinnoh, but I found no signs of life anywhere, and I couldn't even feel a pulse in the air except for whoever was searching on the continent at the same time. All the buildings have been destroyed, and it's possible Sunyshore City fell into the sea from the earthquakes. Much like any other... cities on the coast.” She thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip. “Did... anyone find something we should know about?”

Silence reigned for a few minutes while everyone debated with themselves whether to answer or not. Entei, after shifting his eyes about, spoke up. “Well... we buried a lot of the dead... but only a small portion... um...” His voice trailed off, shrinking in slight discomfort as he nervously looked at his sister. Suicune was too upset to shoot him a wary glance.

Shaymin didn't know how to respond. “Uh... okay, so you started bringing souls to rest. That's a start. That should be our main duty at the time being. Erm, anyone else?”

Latias then hesitantly came forward, holding out the empty orb. “This is what's left of the Soul Dew from Alto Mare,” she whispered, not meeting the terrier's eyes. “The city drowned, just not in its water.” Slowly, she set it down and backed into her brother's hold.

Lugia followed suit. “Speaking of jewels... I managed to recover the treasures of Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands from the sea.” Side-glancing at the Legendary Birds, he placed the three spheres beside the Soul Dew. “The shrine connected to them has been washed away with Shamouti Island in the storm. I couldn't find it anywhere near the area. It's probably in pieces from being frozen for so long.”

Shaymin sadly nodded. “It's possible.”

When he returned into the crowd, the three Regis stepped forth, Regirock and Regice curving to their steely brother to answer for them. He piled by the orbs broken slates of what appeared to be ancient writing engraved on the surfaces. “That's what's left of our chambers,” Registeel explained in his characteristic monotone. “Not like we cared, but I guess it's just to show you how old it is.” Throwing his arms up in his version of a shrug, they stepped back.

Mew hesitantly took her turn, holding out a pair of shredded cloths with an opaque stone delicately sitting atop of them. “These were once gloves used by Sir Aaron in the Tree of Beginning about a millennium ago,” she stated solemnly in his memory. “The Tree is no longer standing, it has vanished without a trace from Earth completely after its destruction. Even the crystals in the area are gone.” She laid them down before meeting Shaymin's gaze.

The Gratitude Legendary had a question. “If I understand correctly, the Tree of Beginning was the source of all life, wasn't it? Aren't all living beings connected to it in some way?”

“I suppose. I was unaffected by it because I was its guardian. Though strangely enough, when it went berserk, it tried to rid itself of me.” The small feline hung her head. “It must have thought of me as an intruder... unless the gloves still had some human aura left in it.”

“Wait, human aura? You saying these gloves might have actually stored some in them?”

Mew gave a nod. “Probably as an activator. But I have a feeling some of it got absorbed into me when the Tree rejected my aura.”

Deoxys immediately raised a hand to call attention to himself. “So, wait, if living beings are kept alive by the Tree, then how are we still alive?” he wondered suspiciously, crossing his arms.

“It's because we're immortal beings,” Ho-oh finally responded, not bothering to turn around. “Our bodies don't physically age. While we still have an aura about ourselves, it stays constant. We don't lose or gain a life-source. I don't doubt some mortals have managed to control it, but many of them have unstable lifespans. Their bodies don't know when to die because it's been tampered with so much.” He craned his neck for a glance. For a moment, his eyes looked dry and blood-shot until a dark shadow fell over him, and his tone of voice changed. “It's a foolish thing to mess with life. No one gives a damn if you find the Fountain of Youth, for by that time, everyone you know have already died from natural causes, a disease you're immune to. Then you wonder why the hell you sought after it, and you spend eternity hating yourself for it. Regret has a funny way of rubbing it in your face when it gets the chance.” He snorted. “Life really is a bitch.”

A somber silence descended upon the Legendaries when he turned his attention back to the gray background. They dwelt on the thought like it was meant for them, a sense of depression developing slowly in their hearts. Many shivered, and tried to think about something else (Rayquaza mumbled about his “happy place”). Shaymin, once she broke free of the dark spell, asked loud as she dared “Does anyone else have anything to tell us?”, wincing at the small echo.

When it seemed no one else would speak up, Mewtwo stepped into view, a hand loosely clenched at his side. Mew put a couple feet's distance between them, keeping her eyes on the small pile. “I may have something.”

The terrier managed a small smile. “Lay it out, then. Good or bad, we'll take it.”

He raised a brow at the comment. “You may be familiar with the elusive Mount Quena that was located in the middle of Johto.”

“'Was', Mewtwo?”

“It had leveled sometime ago, possibly from an earthquake. It was home to many strong Bug Pokémon, and the mystical Clarity Lake. Nothing is left of it now, everything and everyone was crushed underneath the rocks.” From the side, Mew held back a choked sob, eyes welling up. She darted her vision to him before averting to the landscape. The clone resumed, ignoring her. “However, I did manage to collect this.”

The statement caught everyone's attention, even Ho-oh's head was turned. Here, he held up a small corked vial filled with pure liquid. (“Where'd you get that?” Raikou stupidly blurted out from behind.) Shaymin's eyes widened, leaning closer for a better look. “This is all that remains of Clarity Lake.”

Mewtwo gravely nodded. “I salvaged a sample before it all drained away into the earth's depths.”

A few Legendaries jumped back when the phoenix flapped up to the psycat's side, staring incredulously at the bottle. “Drained into the earth?” he repeated. “Then... will it heal the planet?”

A rare shrug of his shoulders. “As far as I know, it only heals biological creatures, but the vegetation growing around the lake was very prosperous and blooming healthily. Mew here was healed ingesting only a few berries.” At the mention of her name, Mew tensed up.

“Are there any of those berries left?”

Mewtwo felt pressured, but answered the question. “As I have mentioned, everything is destroyed. I searched through the rubble myself. If I had found any berries, they are nothing but mush and spoiled from the dirt.”

Ho-oh's face then fell, his crown drooping. “Well... then that's that. We can only hope some of the trees will grow back and bear fruit.”

“Then we'll beat up someone to check its healing powers? I vote Rayquaza.”

“Go to hell, Deoxys,” the green dragon snorted, flicking the back of his head.

“What do we do about the water here?” Shaymin pointed out, preventing any opportunity for a fight to start up.

The phoenix only shrugged. “We'll hold on to it, I suppose,” he muttered. “Until something comes up, it's useless.”

Everyone stared at the fragile vessel, looks of worry on their faces. “Um... where do we store it?” Mesprit shyly speculated. “Along with everything else?”

An awkward silence followed. Ho-oh's eye twitched.

“...Shoot, I haven't thought of that.”

“I have a place,” Celebi spoke up, raising his hand. “I'll take them.”

With a smile of thanks, the vial and collected items were handed over. The Time Traveler held the lighter objects while the slabs of stone he psychically lifted. In a white flash, he disappeared, then returned quarter of a minute later to ask, “So, what did I miss?” A small wave of quiet laughter flowed through the group, and Azelf patted his shoulder.

When it subsided, the Legendaries grew depressed once more.

Intentionally or not, Entei let loose a loud sigh, which startled a few of his peers. “This sucks.”

“Tell me about it,” his sister grunted, withstanding the itch to hit him.

He sat on his rump, slumping his shoulders. “Well... everyone's dead—”

“I didn't mean literally!”

“Yeah, we don't want it rubbed in our faces by the peanut gallery!” Raikou put in his two cents.

“You're making it worse,” Suicune growled, steaming.

“Yeah, stop ruining it for everybody,” Lugia joined in, glaring down at the tiger. “It's depressing.”

“Cresselia, Deoxys, let's not start another fight,” Darkrai quickly advised, stepping in between the two. “We don't need another incident. And I thought you got over this.”

“Yeah, Cress dear, I thought you're a lady.”

“Well, I used to think you were a gentleman, until that mouth of yours got in the way.”

Anyone who was listening in for the entertainment “ooh”ed. Deoxys brusquely laughed, fists on his hips and head thrown back. “That would be true, if I had one.” He held out a hand for a high-five, in which Entei obliged with a whoop, and Rayquaza followed suit (lightly) with his tail.

Cresselia flushed, eyes flashing pink. A few stood back cautiously, while the alien stood haughty in place. Rolling his eyes, the phantom spun his counterpart around and pushed her away. Quiet chuckles made their rounds, and the DNA Legendary smirked. “If that's what you want, I'll let you two lovebirds take a stroll, but you come back before dark, you hear?”

Ho-oh, who had been listening intently, leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder for his attention. “That's enough, wouldn't you say, Deoxys?” he softly notified, cocking an eye-ridge to improvise his point.

He unexpectedly shrugged in agreement. “All right, I've had my fun with them. Now it's your turn, Mewtwo,” and he nonchalantly motioned to the clone.

At the statement, he scowled, crossing his arms. “Leave me out of it.”

“D'a-a-aw, I'd say someone's cranky.” He stepped up to his side, casually wrapping an arm around a shoulder. The height difference made on-lookers snicker. “You want to talk about it?”

Mewtwo calmly removed his hand. “There is nothing to talk about.” He turned to leave.

Deoxys stopped him by spinning him back around. “Of course there is! There's an endless supply of one-liners to start a conversation. Say, uh... for example. I say, 'Hey, let's head over for a drink', and you'd say...” He trailed off and waited, arms out-spread.

The feline glared down at him. “If you are trying to embarrass me by making a complete fool out of yourself—”

“No-o-o, Mewtwo, you're supposed to agree with me!” the alien whined, then composed himself. “Okay, how's this? 'Hey, dude, that chick over there is hot. You should totally go talk to her.'” Winking to the spectators, he shoved him in Mew's direction.

She saw the movement in time, and swiftly flew to the side. Mewtwo, once he steadied himself, growled angrily and whirled around to shoot a Shadow Ball into Deoxys' face. “What the hell is your problem?!” he roared, frightening everyone to silence when they saw his eyes glow a murderous blue. Lugia flinched, backing away.

“Oh, Arceus, my beautiful face!”

Rayquaza happened to guffaw at his comment. “Well, I suppose karma does exist, it's chewing on your ass right now.”

“Shut up, worm, you're next!”

“That's enough!” Ho-oh snapped, storming into the middle of the field and spreading out his wings. He glared fiercely between Legendaries, mainly Deoxys and Mewtwo, whose leer never left the alien. “We are not going to tolerate this any further! There's work to be done about our planet, and none of it will get accomplished if we continue to screw around like this. So everyone must make up their differences now, which is something that should have been taken care of two months ago.”

“I wasn't the one assigned to—”

“Not another word from you! I don't care who you weren't with, you are to learn to get along as we're going to be living together from now on!”

Shaymin stepped to his side. “You're still in shock. Why don't you lie down?”

“Nonsense, it won't make much of a difference,” he grumbled, slowing his breaths and rubbing his temples. “But Arceus, I have a headache.”

It was almost cued-enough to let the group remain silent, like they were afraid he would explode if a cough sounded. So wordlessly, they all looked at one another, similar to how the meeting two months back started. By catching odd eye-contact did Darkrai realize his arm was still around Cresselia, and he pulled back, running the hand through his hair and glancing away. She didn't notice, if at all, though each time she glanced at the phantom, the more flustered he got. To prevent himself from teasing them even more, Deoxys turned his back on them and just stared ahead at the emptiness. It was strangely welcoming. Latias managed to steal a glimpse from Mew, whose vision strayed from Mewtwo's direction even though most everyone were where he was. Frowning, she hung her head and clung to her brother. Kyogre, suspended in a lake not far off, bucked Manaphy from his head to encourage him to join the crowd. Hesitantly, he did so, stumbling across the rocky land to reach the others. He paused at the female Eon dragon's side, staring up at her. For him, she managed a small smile and placed a hand on his head.

The young prince couldn't bring himself to smile. She saw in his wide eyes a developing depression, a vow to never be happy again. It reminded her of Mew's eyes some many months ago, when all she did was lie in her make-shift crib and stare blankly ahead. Holding back a whimper, Latias gathered him in her arms, holding him close. Ho-oh, from where he stood watching, caught the similarities himself, feeling sorrowful for the young Legendary. After all the horrors that had happened, there was virtually no way innocence would survive it. The two now had a thing in common, lacking the naivety they so cherished for years. They could no longer deny what they had seen and learned.

It felt like the last ray of hope had finally flickered out.

Timidly, Manaphy choked out a critical question: “What do we do now?”

The phoenix and Shaymin waited a minute before they looked at one another. “Well,” she slowly began, “I suppose we fix up the earth.”

“First, we must bury the dead,” Ho-oh pointed out. “Before we do anything else, that's what we should do.”

Zapdos couldn't help but blurt out, “How? Don't you know how many lives were lost in this? It could take months or years to complete! But most importantly, will every body get buried? The earth can only hold so much!”

“Oh, how would you know?” Lugia muttered darkly. “You've never dug a grave in your life.”

“I'm positive about a third of the population, if not more, have already been buried by the earth itself,” Shaymin remarked. “The land can take the other two-thirds.”

“Okay, then, say we did all that,” the thunder bird continued pessimistically. “Then what would we do?”

“Like I said, we'll fix the earth.”

“How, though?”

Moltres leered at her brother. “It's simple: Celebi will grow the plants, Kyogre will water everything, Suicune will purify the waters, you can make your little thunderstorms with Raikou, and so forth.”

“In other words, use your talents,” Articuno stepped in.

He glared at each of them. “Fine, whatever. Now say we did all that. Then what?”

“We'll just sit around and listen to you bitching about life in general,” Giratina snorted, rolling his eyes. “Now say you did all that, and you die. Then what?” A few Legendaries, most notably Rayquaza and Deoxys, laughed.

“Go to hell, Giratina!”

The renegade smirked wickedly “I have a few times, actually. I'm allowed to bring visitors with me. Thing is I have to leave them there for eternity. Wanna go?”

Giratina chortled. “Yeah, like I haven't seen you and Groudon in a heated argument before.” The punch thrown at him didn't faze him.

Ho-oh sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I appreciate that you're thinking ahead, Zapdos, but let us cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, let us focus on putting souls to rest and healing the planet.”

“He does have a point,” Uxie said, raising his head. “We should have a plan in mind before we go ahead with this. Let us say the earth proves too cramped for this many bodies to be buried. What do we do with them?”

“Cremation, of course.”

“In one large pile, or smaller heaps?”

He shifted thoughtfully, feathers weakly glinting in the temporary sunlight. “Depends... on how many there are.”

The fairy slowly nodded. “Once the burials are all finished, we then start healing the earth. However, we have been noticing we've aged somewhat, and we are giving half of what we're capable of. Celebi here is using his life-source to keep the plants healthy, for example. It won't be long before he dies, if this continues.” The addressed pixie hung his head, wringing his hands. Uxie tilted his head back to the sky. “We may be immortal, but we have our limits. The earth truly doesn't need us to survive, we're just aiding it through, presently for the healing process. Once we're not needed, then our lives will become meaningless in a way. Unless...” He fell silent, unwavering from his position.

“Go on,” Ho-oh pressed. “What are you about to say?”

A weak smile faded into view on his face, the gem on his forehead giving off a light glow. “I think we'll have Arceus take over from here.”

“...What?”

Uxie grabbed his siblings' hands and dragged them back, his gaze still upward. Everyone followed his lead, lifting their eyes and stepping back, silent gasps in their throats. From a break in the clouds, a pillar of light greater than the sun's was easing its way down for them. Many shielded their eyes, squinting at the brightness of it. When it fell upon the space before them, a personage came into view, the light growing softer until it appeared to illuminate from the newcomer's body. It was a quadruped, standing proud and boldly on its gold-plated hooves. Around the pelvic area was a four-pronged halo with emeralds embedded into it. The silver mane billowed from the head in a wind they could not feel, jade eyes scanning each and every being in the circle. Upon recognition, the speechless Legendaries slowly and respectfully knelt (some the best they could).

After the acknowledgment of everyone present, Arceus sorrowfully cast his eyes about the desolate wasteland. Words came from him carefully and penetrating, echoing into the emptiness. “O fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of Him who has created your body from the dust of the earth? How could ye have rejected Him, thy brother and Savior, who stood with open arms to receive you? Behold, had ye not done this, ye would not have fallen. O fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives... how is it that ye could have fallen? But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.”

They could barely breathe when he spoke, their hearts spreading freezing vibes throughout their bodies. Some hung their heads, feeling guilt amidst the grief. Arceus turned to these very ones. “You may feel the sorrow now, but in your hearts, you know it is too late,” he calmly said, in normal speech. “I had given each and every one of you a special talent so you may guide the world. You took my place, but you have desecrated it. Little by little, you forgot me and your promises so you could be of the world. You knew what was to happen had the world gone astray, it was eventually meant to be. Had you stayed faithful to your duties, I would not have descended to lecture you and give you your punishment.”

“B-Because you are, aren't you?” She meekly glanced up. “You did give us life, and our many talents and duties. We've been loyal for so long... so you are our Lord... in a ways.”

“I may have given you the duties, but I was instructed by another,” he stated, a smile in his voice. “I did not give you life, not while I am only an angel.”

“But the legends! They all say you're a creator!”

“That is all they are, legends by humans. Humans who are quick to forget.”

“Wait, what?” Deoxys piped up. “I am seriously not getting this. You're telling me—us—that you just came down here from heaven or whatever to say humans are forgetful and you're not God, so you're punishing us? That part's confusing, and I don't even know what we did to deserve such a thing!”

“Deoxys, weren't you listening?” Cresselia hissed, more to herself. She shook her head with a huff. “Honestly...”

Arceus gave his remarks. “Indeed I am, Deoxys. And you know what you have done. Your heart is just hardened so you are refusing to accept the wrongdoings you have done.”

He fell silent, half-expecting Rayquaza or someone else to laugh about it.

Shaymin bowed her head. “I see, then,” she murmured. “It does make sense that we would forget. As immortal beings, we live to see the world change. It isn't long before we assimilate ourselves into the culture of the times, while in our hearts we know the truth.” She scoffed, smirking. “We are pitiful, even in our current state.”

“So we deserve to be punished then, eh?” Heatran queried, unable to take his eyes away from the heavenly being. “That's what we agreed to, right?”

“Correct.”

Giratina grumbled to himself about how much his life sucked and incidentally dared for more punishments. Palkia elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up. Even so, Arceus had heard his complaints, and passed him a glance. “Giratina, your punishment from before was for the best. It did you well, you are not as rebellious as you used to be. I promise you this group punishment will not be as burdensome, and it is for your soul's benefit.”

Mew took a breath. “A... Arceus, sir? What will become of the world now that the Tree of Beginning is gone?”

“Ah, dear Mew, the last guardian of the Tree.” He looked over to meet her gaze. “You need not to worry. Had the earth really relied on the Tree to survive, everything would have shriveled and died, and the earth would have fallen apart. Alas, it has not happened.”

“Then what was the point?”

“It was originally created to give hope, but it became something else entirely. It is for the best it was removed. We cannot have worldly influences for the new generation to grow up in.”

All the Legendaries stared up at Arceus with confused, almost disgruntled looks. Ho-oh had cringed at the sentence. “But Arceus... there are no survivors.”

A twinkle in the angel's eyes made him shiver. “There are,” he amended. “I would not be here if there were none.”

Murmuring made its way through the circle, some laughing nervously at what they heard. “I knew they made an underground city!” Entei exclaimed, forcing a grin. “Oh, people have survived after all!”

Suicune smacked him upside the head. “Idiot, he's talking about us!” she snarled, though not as intimidating as she usually would make it. Inwardly, she flinched and hoped Arceus did not mean what he said.

“Oh, I never make mistakes,” he answered like he had heard her thoughts, frightening her. “You should have known it was coming, Suicune. It is a commandment, after all.”

“What did you know was coming, sis?” Raikou blurted out, confused about the whole thing. He ignored her warning glare. “What have you been keeping from us?”

“You all knew this was meant to happen.” Arceus' voice suddenly started to rumble like thunder, and the nervous voices quieted down. He paused to look at them all once more, then resumed his speech. “Before I ascend, I leave with you your punishment, one you have all solely agreed on to be as you are as Legends. But behold, the Lord shows mercy to His children, and has given you a second chance, to which you must obey. Effective immediately, you shall all be stripped of your immortality, and must be as the common man. Cursed shall be the ground from which you shall labor in the fields, and eat by the sweat of your brows. I now give unto you a commandment from the great I AM, one that has been since the earth was created and remains in force, that you are to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. Failure to hearken unto these words will result in your imminent destruction, and you shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord forever. Amen. Peace be unto you, and farewell.”

When he had finished speaking, each and every Legendary's vision straightaway blacked out, and they fell faint to the ground.

*~*~*

A/N: If you have any problems with this chapter, let me know and I'll fix it. And I promise you next chapter will be better. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it .

And yes, Arceus' first speaking part was scripture quoting, in case that was going through your mind as to why he sounded to different there.

Ooooooo, I was hoping Arceus would make an appearance! Nice work! As always, I love the dialogue and the smoothness of everything - it all fits great! 8D TBH, through the beginning of the chapter I was like "OK, everything is gone and dead, what the hell could they do now?" I almost thought you wrote yourself into a corner, but no - this one really came out of no where, and I didn't expect it. (probably cuz I'm not religious, and didn't recognize any scripture...which was probably for the best - I thought it put a great feeling into it!)

Anyway, as always, love your work, and continue!!! (Yes, I read all of these in one sitting, even the one before. XD)

Encyclopika:
Made the banner
Is a GIRL. >.>;;
Has a deviantART account and a Tumblr
Is on Fanfiction.net.Need a moveset for a specific Pokemon for a specific contest? PM me!
Don't reply to my infractions. It's not gonna change anything.
Random friend requests do nothing. Let's actually talk first. >_<

Encyclopika: Ha ha, I don't blame you for worrying about whatever was going to happen. Chapter five did catch a lot of people off-guard. The religious text had nothing to do with it xD. But considering that it's Arceus, I expect him to quote scripture. And I figured no one was going to get it anyway, it's not a well-known scripture, but considering its background, it's a rather dark, upsetting passage(s?) that wouldn't really be forgotten very easily.

I hope to at least get a giggle, I wanted to try and poke fun of everyone mortals and at least get a light-hearted chapter up.

It gets serious after this, so enjoy it while you can.

Go ahead, laugh at yourself. I did.

*~*~*~*

Chapter Six:A Day in the Life of a Mortal

“And it came to pass that after I, the Lord God, had driven them out,
that Adam began to till the earth... to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow,
as I the Lord had commanded him. And Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him.”
-- Moses 5:1

*~*~*

It was extremely difficult to force oneself to wake up, to cause the stiff body to stand. They were all dizzy, feeling sick to their stomachs and visions hazy, a few complaining about the affliction. Mewtwo was the first to recover, glancing around at the stumbling Legendaries and surrounding emptiness. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt different, like he was not in his own body. Physically, he was still himself, mentally, he was the same. So what was wrong? He spun around expecting Arceus to be standing there, watching their struggles, but he was nowhere to be found. Blinking, he turned his gaze to the sky. No ray of sunshine shone through the clouds above them. Frowning, he massaged his temples trying to soothe his developing headache. It was oddly stronger now.

Picking himself up from the dust, Deoxys groaned, “My spine friggin' hurts.” He stretched, cricking his neck and popping his back.

“No, really?” Lugia sneered, trying to steady his balance and shooting a half-hearted glare in his direction. “You must've slept on a rock. The ground here was cloud-like, I barely felt a thing.”

Palkia let out a yawn, stretching over his head. “Oh, boy, I feel tired.” He scratched his lower back, face scrunched in thought. “Which says something, as I don't sleep very often.”

“We just woke up from a weird experience, our bodies think they feel tired.” Dialga staggered to his feet, making his rival snort. “Or... we just gained some weight during our... couple hours' worth of sleep or whatever.”

A shout of joy suddenly sounded, startling the group and causing those who were barely standing to collapse again. Everyone turned to the source, and their jaws dropped. Rayquaza—not seeming to realize he may be making a fool of himself—was excitedly spinning around, looking at everything and closing one eye then the other multiple times, grinning brightly. “I got my eyeball back!” He brought his tail to his sight, and squealed. “I'm fully healed! It's a miracle!”

After getting over the initial shock of the dragon's elation, Azelf glanced down at himself, running his hands all over his body. “Hey, I'm healed, too!” he announced, picking up the tail he knew the gem had been forcibly removed from. It gleamed brightly up at him like it was glad to see him. He looked at his brother and gasped, pointing at his appendage. “It grew back!”

Darkrai had an eye closed as he glanced around thrillingly. “My vision cleared up! Not that it wasn't bad when you healed it, Jirachi,” he quickly apologized.

The Wish Maker only shrugged, tugging at the aqua tags on his extensions that he knew weren't there earlier. “I'm happy for you.”

“Celebi, you're not brown anymore!” Entei expressed out, pointing at the pixie. His sister was too surprised to smack him for his remark.

Indeed, Celebi had been restored to his natural color, his antennae curving backward and his extension sticking up. He twirled around trying to look at his wings, only to feel the energy through the spin. “Amazing!” he breathed, wide blue eyes sparkling in a way they hadn't in years. “It's like I became young again! Or something.”

Deoxys had been frozen in place of his stretching since Rayquaza's sudden outburst, and was aware of the attention he was bringing to himself. So thinking quickly, he straightened himself, brought out a reverent gasp, fell to his knees, and raised his hands to the sky in praise, bringing on the waterworks. A thin ray of sunshine happened to fall upon him just before he let out a breath. “I feel... new again!”

Everyone just stared at him, a few shaking their heads at his ignorance, then went back to marveling at the strange recovery. The alien pouted and grudgingly stood back up, muttering to himself about people being tasteless.

Ho-oh scrutinized himself, noticing his crown wasn't in his face anymore and his wings were giving off a brilliant glow. He turned to Shaymin, who had been reverted back to her Land Forme and was healthy as ever. She was crying tears of delight, feeling her flowers and her back the best she could. She trotted over to the lake (where Kyogre was gawking at his illuminating markings) and peeked at her reflection, weeping harder. “Oh, it's a miracle!” she squeaked. “We've been spared!”

Mew poked and prodded herself, frowning slightly. “Yeah, I don't know. Doesn't it feel different to you?” she asked, glancing over at the hedgehog. “Like... there's something missing?”

“Don't kill the mood yet, Mew!” Zapdos whined in the middle of stroking his beak. “Let's worry about that later.”

“So you feel it, too?”

“Well, yeah... I just didn't want to bring it up.”

“Kill-joy,” Articuno muttered, even though she smirked.

“Wait, feel what?” Manaphy piped up as he tugged at his antennae. “I'm not getting it.”

Uxie hardly tore his gaze from his siblings as they happily danced. “We were unconscious for about a few hours, give or take a few minutes,” he quietly explained. He raised his head a little ways. “I find it strange we passed out like that.”

“Yeah, Arceus likes to do that,” the Renegade Legendary scoffed. “Bastard must think it funny.”

“Don't talk about Arceus that way!” Shaymin chided from her place at the lake shore, spinning around to grimace at the ghostly dragon. “Show some respect!”

“I'll show respect when I'm dead, which is not for another eternity.”

Ho-oh's eyes apprehensively lit up, thinking back on what Arceus had told them just before they blacked out. After mentioning a punishment, he gave the word, and a burden was lifted then replaced with something heavier. It didn't explain the full recoveries, but that detail was too unimportant to ponder over. A miracle happened, however, it was possible this odd transition would explain their awkward tiredness. Even in the past two months, he never felt this drained.

He craned his neck toward Mew. “What is it you feel, Mew?” he mused, praying his suspicions weren't correct.

“Um... I don't know how to describe it, erm...” She chewed on her bottom lip while staring up at the clouds. “My aura... just doesn't feel the same. I feel like I'm more responsible for my actions now, like everything depends on it or something. Err... a strange sensation?” A blush of slight embarrassment burned into her cheeks. Mewtwo couldn't help but gaze transfixed at the color before turning away. She was unaware of his actions.

The phoenix sighed, massaging his forehead. Some help it was. “Well, thanks anyway for trying.”

“She's right about the aura,” Darkrai came in, his sapphire eyes glinting mysteriously. “There is something different about it. But our bodies don't feel right as well. As far as I know, we're just getting used to our new-found youth.”

“We didn't age backwards,” Uxie stated the correction, shaking his head. “No, we haven't aged since we were immortal.”

Groudon growled incredulously, eyes widening as he lifted his claws to his face. “We're feeling ourselves aging?!” Strangely enough, a moment later he only furrowed his brows like he discovered or remembered a thought. “So I guess that's where they get the term 'under your skin' or however it goes.”

“Don't you mean 'out of body'?” Lugia grunted.

Ho-oh waved his wing around. “Who cares about that? Now we know the answer as to why we feel different. We are no longer immortal. Anyone else want to comment on that?”

The only response was Deoxys' usual spat of a swear as he blasted a small crater into the ground. “You have got to be screwing with us!” he furiously snapped. “I would have remembered a damn contract about that!”

“It was an oath, dumb-ass,” Rayquaza huffed to the side, his joyful attitude now gone. “And we forgot about it until Arceus reminded us.”

Latias raised an uncertain hand. “Uh... if we're mortal now... then why are we all healed?”

“Remember the story of Adam and Eve?” Latios brought to attention, glancing down at her. “It's believed that when their bodies were created, they were perfect. Even after they were made mortal, they still had a perfect body because God created it Himself.”

Giratina “pfft”ed off to the side. “Figures,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “Everything touched by a holy being becomes perfect.” A scoff from his nose. “And where's the proof of this?”

“Well, if I had a bible—”

“Well too bad! They all burned with the world! What do you say to that?”

“Giratina, that was unnecessary,” Ho-oh said, sighing.

“Who gives a damn? What, am I going to be struck down because I said every single freakin' religious book burned? And I thought we were being given a second chance. Oh, the irony!”

Cresselia's face had been slightly darkening since Latios had mentioned the name “Adam”, her eyes paling, beak slightly opening, and levitation depleting. Deoxys snorted at the sight. “Cress, do you mind, you're attracting flies.” No answer. He crossed his arms, leaning forward. “What's your problem, anyway? It looks like you got yourself a brain aneurysm.”

Slowly, after she swallowed a few times, her words came out in a hushed whisper. “Didn't... Arceus mention something else?”

Blinks and side-glances went through the group until Heatran broke the rather awkward silence. “He did give an order and a warning before we passed out.” And then his jaw dropped, and his eyes twitched. “Oh... my...”

Eventually, after everyone thought back to the last moment with Arceus, their silent reactions differed from paling and mouthing to muttering under their breaths. Latias, after consulting telepathically with her brother about it, blanched and let out a shrill scream. “Bloody hell, Latias!” her sibling shouted, covering his ears.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?! LATIOS, PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING!” She spun around and shook Jirachi without hesitation, frightening him even more. “IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH?!” The Wish Maker only stared terrified at her bulging eyes, too astonished to let out a whimper. The Eon dragon then burst into tears, releasing him so he dropped to the ground.

Raikou frowned, leaning over to his brother. “If I wasn't a man, I'd be crying myself.” (Suicune's mind was still in shock to comprehend what he said.)

Mew rushed forward to help calm her friend down, trying to keep herself from raising her voice, but losing. “La—Latias! Latias, it's oka—gah! Latios, do something! Latias! Just listen for a minute!”

“OH, MEW, IT'S TERRIBLE!” the female dragon only wailed, latching onto the small feline and shaking her as well. “WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!”

“YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! YOU DON'T HAVE A LIVING RELATIVE! HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTA—”

SMACK!

The slap echoed throughout everyone's minds, visions soaking in the red imprint developing on Latias' face and Latios' raised hand. She gasped for breath, releasing her grip on her friend who moved forward to hold her. Mew glanced over at the male, silently thanking him as much as chastising him.

He lowered his arm, hanging his head. “I'm sorry,” he whispered to his sister. “I'm upset as well, but there is nothing else we can do. You're not the only one distressed about this. We all are. About half of us have siblings.”

“Hey, Latios, does the Bible give the a-okay on incest?” Giratina chortled mockingly.

Ho-oh stepped forward, giving a harsh warning glare to the Renegade Legendary as his feathers bristled. “That's enough! I don't want to hear about it!”

The ratted wings twitched in what was interpreted as a shrug. “But it's just a question.”

“I don't care! Procreation is not something to joke about, especially at a time like this!”

The Sky Guardian looked over at her, causing her to shiver. “I am. But I wasn't the one to suggest this.”

She grimaced, slowly turning her head to Zapdos, who was shrinking within himself. “...eew.”

“I'm not thrilled with it either, Art,” her sister agreed, stepping away from her brother. Uncomfortable enough as he was, he only glimpsed at each of his sisters, brows raised.

“None of us are,” Ho-oh sighed, shaking his head. “It's a very touchy subject... but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Even without Arceus' confirmation, it would have had to happen eventually. Unfortunately...” He trailed off, frowning deeply for a bird. Everyone leaned in, though a few didn't look too anxious to know the answer. With a breath, the phoenix finished, “...there are thirty-three of us.”

“Heh, so? That's plenty!” Raikou exclaimed rather pleasingly. He received many glares, forcing him to shrink back and rethink his thoughts. “Uh... odd-one out?”

Eyes narrowed in annoyance, Ho-oh added, “Of that, there are only eight females.”

Latias wailed.

Everyone else began to murmur amongst themselves. “We have to share?!” came from Groudon in whose disappointment wasn't all that surprising. He growled loudly, and the others were expecting him to throw a tantrum, or destroy something. Instead, he face-palmed and complained up into the heavens, “This is not what I had in mind!”

Deoxys, in the meantime, had a rather smug smirk visible in his eyes. “Well, guess we'll have to cast lots or first dibs.” Chuckling a little to himself, he placed his hands behind his head, and announced loudly, “Now who wants to be my Eve?” He turned to Cresselia, winking. “How about you, toots?”

“Even if you were the last Pokémon on Earth, I wouldn't have wanted you within a hundred miles of me,” she snidely remarked, up-turning her beak.

“Isn't that a little too clichéd?”

“Fine, I'll be more direct with you. NO!”

It managed to bring out a few laughs in the group along with “Nice try, Deoxys!” and, “Better luck next time!” The alien raised a hand, rolling his eyes. “Fine, be that way. I never wanted you anyway. Guess I'll have to find a new Eve, one who'll appreciate me for who I am.”

“Am I not good enough? I thought I was bitch-material.” Entei roared with laughter before he was silenced by Suicune.

“Not that term!” the DNA Legendary hissed nervously.

“My mistake. I'm more of a whore.”

“The hell, Rayquaza!”

“Is that what you think of us, Deoxys?” Shaymin scowled, leering up at him. He flinched under her look, the dark eyes containing an awakening flame that sharpened her appearance. “You think of us as harlots?” Moltres gave a rather horrified, displeased gasp, sending him her lethal glare.

“NO! That's what I think of Rayquaza! No, I see females as individual beings with their own—uh—accommodations in life and thus have the right to make their own choices.” Had he a mouth, Deoxys would be grinning sheepishly. The eight females bored a hole into his stomach, and he sighed in defeat, hanging his head.

Lugia guffawed from behind. “Cock-blocked!” Articuno harshly smacked him upside the head so he crashed face-down onto the dirt.

Ho-oh had enough of the jokes and was ready to bust a cap. “That does it! If anyone says one more gag about this ordeal, then I'll... um... exile that Legendary!” In his mind, he fought with himself as to what the actual punishment would be and keep himself from humiliation.

Of course, everyone caught on. “You don't have a penalty, do you?” Regice said matter-of-factly.

“Quiet, I'm thinking.”

“Sir, we can talk about this later if that's what you're implying,” Suicune advised, slightly nodding her head.

“No, Suicune, we need to make a plan anyway,” he said, somewhat exasperated. “Keep talking, hopefully something will come up.”

“To be honest, sir, we weren't really... brainstorming.”

“Yeah, and I don't want to bang my sister!” Entei verbalized without shame.

She let out a disgusted cry and slapped him upside the head, face red in anger and embarrassment. “I swear to everything that is holy, Entei, I will inflict bodily harm on you if you don't start thinking before speaking!” she screeched. “Or better yet, why don't you just say nothing at all!”

“Well what do you want me to say, that I don't want to have sex with my sister?” he whimpered, clutching his head.

“GODDAMN IT, ENTEI!”

After the beatings were over, Uxie gingerly gave his inputed opinion. “There's an egg compatibility we need to keep in mind of. Not all of us will be able to... create with the same person. There will be those who will be able to match them them all, and then there will be others who only get a few.”

“And how do we figure this out?” Ho-oh inquired.

“Blood tests are the simplest way to do it.”

“Uxie, we... really don't have the equipment and the time to check this,” Azelf quietly said his part. “The way I see it, we'll all just have to... take turns.” He shuffled in place and looked up at the Sky Guardian.

After a moment of silence, the phoenix solemnly nodded his head. “That seems to be the only other way I can think of. Problem is, we'll need to create hundreds of species. And I doubt any of us can change a fetus' DNA at will.”

“Well, why can't Celebi just go back in time and bring back a few more females?” Zapdos suggested impatiently. “Preferably attractive ones.” He ignored the glowers of his sisters. “Scratch that, prevent this disaster from ever occurring.”

“It doesn't work like that,” the pixie counteracted. “There are certain events in Earth's history that were destined, you could say, to happen. You can extend the time it takes to get to it, but it would eventually come to pass. Trust me when I say I've tried to keep world peace going as long as I could until Time refused to allow anymore alterations. And the rest... heh... is history.” He sadly gave a tiny smile, folding his arms. “As for the females from the past... I'd rather not. Consider it a waste of energy.”

The thunder bird scoffed. “Well, it was just a suggestion.”

The Knowledge fairy then swerved his head in Mew's direction, forming a knot in her gut. “There may be a solution. Legends say a Mew has the DNA of all Pokémon, that all life came from the first Mew, who was titled the Mother of Pokémon.” He levitated up to her, the gem on his forehead glowing. “This is asking a lot, and who knows how well your body can handle it... but first we must know if a Mew can alter DNA for different species.”

She wrung her hands, biting her lip. “I... I'm not sure. I think so. I mean, I've heard stories—legends really. But I don't know, we may have lost that ability. I'm sure Mother knew the answer, it's custom the females are taught such things when we reach sexual maturity, but she died when I was small. She was... from what I can remember, fairly young.” Her ears drooped. “Sorry I couldn't help you.”

Uxie placed a hand delicately on her shoulder, a small smile on his face. “How long ago was this, Mew?”

“...A little over a millennium ago.” Her breath caught for a few moments. “Sometime afterwards, about a couple of decades later, I was given an opportunity to be a Legendary, to guard the world. I agreed, and was given immortality. I haven't aged since.”

He nodded and let her go. “If I had to take a guess, I'd say you're in the right age group to stay healthy throughout this, erm, trial. I'm sorry to say, Mew, that a lot will be placed on your shoulders.”

“Gee, that's comforting to know,” she dryly said, not meaning for it to be purposeful. “Thanks for making me feel better.”

“But what about her gene altering or whatever it is?” Palkia pressured. “How's that going to work?”

“Don't you mean gene splicing?” Moltres tried to amend.

“What, no! I didn't mean it like that! No offense, Mewtwo.”

The psycat only briefly nodded, arms folded loosely and gaze directed at the graying horizon. His silence caught attention, everyone focusing on him. Celebi tilted his head. “Hey, you okay there, Mewtwo? You haven't said a word the whole time we've been up.”

“Probably just brooding about life again,” Kyogre muttered. “Must not know what we're talking about.”

Shaymin stepped to his side, gazing up at the feline. “Mewtwo, is there something you need to say?”

She wasn't far off, Mewtwo was impressed at how well she could read expressions. Ever since the notation of them being mortal, he had tried to speak out his opinion about it—many times. However, he found himself unable to communicate with the others. It was like a barrier was separating their minds, reflecting or absorbing the words he tried to say. He struggled with it until the subject changed, and then chose to remain silent. It was a conversation he didn't want to talk about at the moment, and was somewhat grateful this undetectable shield kept him from speaking out.

“Mewtwo, you need to say something,” the little hedgehog continued, her tone of voice growing more terse. “Whatever it is, it must be important.” His vision remained on the horizon line. It made it more convincing he was choosing to ignore them.

“I think he's shy,” Darkrai snickered, only to be cut off from Cresselia's scorn.

“Or maybe he's lost for words,” Regigigas took his guess, shrugging his massive shoulders.

“Who, Mewtwo? I don't see that happening,” Giratina said, rolling his eyes. “He's too smart for that. I'd mistake his brain for a ticking time bomb, it's always in motion.”

“...what?” Dialga blankly said.

Mewtwo cracked a tiny smile at his stupid remark. The slight change in expression was like headline news. “Oh, there is a God after all!” Groudon sighed, raising his claws to the heavens. “He made a beautiful composition in that smile!”

“Took the words out of my mouth,” Rayquaza nodded, giving the titan a high-five with his tail.

“...Mewtwo?”

He tilted his head at the small voice, to lock eyes with her, expression unchanging. Mew inwardly flinched that she took it upon herself to glance up at her clone, to stare at the amethyst gaze that haunted her the past two months. She shivered at how mellow his eyes were, at how he looked upon her. It made her wonder if he really had no idea what had happened the previous day; someone who was so cruel could never look the same way again, especially not twice.

She irregularly inhaled deep breaths, trying to keep herself in reality and not fantasize about that day. “Mewtwo, are you feeling well?”

Oh Lord, what was making her feel sorry for him? Was it a change of heart from the disaster they witnessed? It made sense, the whole thing was traumatizing, not even the most cold-hearted person could keep from being haunted by it. Or was it that expression, the one that was cutting into her, making her feel guilty for her past actions against him? Mewtwo rarely ever expressed emotion visibly, and even if he did (here she subconsciously raised a hand to her throat) it was through rage. His angry rant must have come out without him realizing it. It never crossed her mind she could have hurt him.

The silent clone kept a close observation, watching as she fidgeted in place, taking in breaths and averting making eye-contact. She was feeling uncomfortable talking to him, it was similar to when he yelled at her before his sudden blackout. He had been losing it and was close to spilling his heart out, something that never happened. He held many burdensome secrets, the sins and horrors he never let anyone know about. Scyther—God rest his soul, he prayed—was only given part of it. Not even Pikatwo and Meowtwo knew about it. The heart he never thought he had existed because of it. If it was let loose, Mewtwo feared he wouldn't have a meaning in the world anymore. And from what he saw in her melancholy eyes, she didn't need anything else to break her heart and spirit. Not after what he did.

The scream emitted from the throat of Mewtwo chilled everyone to the bone, a few feeling the blood drain from their faces. Mew backed away a few feet, trembling in fear and awe. He spun around, teeth bared, and socked the surprised alien in the face with a fist. “YOU JACKASS, YOU COULD KILL ME BY DOING THAT!”

Once the echoes faded into the distance and the only sounds were their beating hearts, the negative tension that filled the area began to throb away. The psycat slowly lowered his arm, relaxing his hand. Deoxys remained frozen on the ground, shaken up more than the others. For a brief minute, Lugia thought Mewtwo was going berserk again and had shielded Articuno from view. The two hardly moved from their (awkward) position even when the atmosphere calmed down.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Ho-oh gave a nearly inaudible whisper. “Wha... what was that?”

Astonished himself, Mewtwo ran his fingers against his throat. The rumble from within felt unnatural. “I... I am not sure...” He cast his eyes about the Legendaries, taking in their perturbed expressions. “This has never... I could have sworn I was mute.”

Uxie let out a breath he had been holding, tilting his head back. “If what Latios has said is true... that we were made perfect being healed by Arceus...” His mouth formed a serious, almost thoughtful line. “Mewtwo, how did you know you could communicate telepathically?”

“I honestly have not a clue,” he responded truthfully. “I knew I could communicate, and I was merely thinking to myself. It could be I never had any control over my powers at birth and thus my thoughts were made broadcast. I suppose it became habit.”

“Then why can you not speak with it?”

“Again, I do not know. Something was blocking my every attempt to contact everyone. It was not that I forgot how, I just... could not break through.”

The fairy nodded. “How peculiar. I suppose if that's the case... I no longer need to rely on my mental sight.”

His siblings and a few others gasped in fright. Mesprit grabbed his arm tightly. “Don't do it, Uxie! You don't know that for sure!”

He gave a sad smile. “Then if I was wrong after all, I will not blame you if you all become barbaric and eat me on instinct.” And his eyelids snapped open.

Nearly everyone covered their own eyes automatically. Mewtwo, not out of stupid curiosity but of puzzlement, stared back at the golden oculars he shared with his brother and sister. Uxie smiled back at him. “You're either a brave soul, or you are suicidal,” he replied wryly. “Or just plain stupid.”

Shaking his head, the clone stated, “I am confused as to what the commotion is about. What was it about you that you keep your eyes closed?” He caught a glimpse of Ho-oh peeking out from his feathers. The bird slowly lowered his wings, a worried look on his face.

“I am the one who gave humans knowledge. But I can take it away, well, at least through memories. Just one look in my eyes, and in three days the brain shuts down, intelligence-wise. It's a terrible death, the malfunction of the brain. The victim is forever a vegetable, trapped inside the body until they die.” By this time, the Legendaries were all relaxing one by one, daring to glance at the golden irises. The fairy sadly sighed, not showing signs he could feel their stares. “I suppose I can thank God that the curse may have been lifted from me.”

“Stupid, the joke's over,” Lugia grumbled, shaking his head at the alien's arrogance. “You're just making an ass out of yourself.”

A low gurgling rumble suddenly sounded, turning heads and making faces wince. Kyogre slightly lifted his head up out of the water, raising a brow quizzically at the expressions. “What's going on? Why is everyone looking uncomfortable?”

“You didn't hear that?” his rival asked, a little surprised.

“Hear what?”

The bubbling noise returned. “There, didn't you hear that?”

“Sounded like a stomach growling,” Manaphy stated, glancing at the other Legendaries' faces. “I don't blame him, we haven't had anything to eat in over a day.”

“Bah, eating is out of the question, we eat when we feel like it,” Giratina barked. “I'd say someone has something bad in their system.” His eyes then trailed down to the Legendary Beasts, and held back a snicker. “What's gotten into you, Entei? You're all tense.”

The siblings looked at their brother, who was hunching over and joints were locking. He was so stiff, his body quaked while he tried to keep a whine stuck in his throat. His eyes darted to and fro, betraying his need of aid. “What's the matter with you?” Raikou asked, waving a paw in his face. “You look like you've seen a ghost or something.”

Entei swiftly shook his head, accidentally smacking his sister with the mane. “N-No... it's-s-s not that at all.”

“Are you still hurting? Damn, Suicune, how hard did you hit him this time?”

“It's not from Suicune, I swear.”

“Well something's spooking you. You need to lie down?”

“I'm afraid if I do...” He turned to his sister. “Sis, I feel like my guts are going to explode!”

She incredulously snorted, but didn't say anything. Desperately, he looked over at Ho-oh, who was standing there not having an idea what was wrong with him until he requested, “Repeat what you said.”

“I think my guts are going to explode or something! I'm trying... to keep it in!” The lion-like beast's face grimaced, his teeth gnashing as his tremblings increased.

Almost immediately, Celebi screamed, “Get far away from us, Entei! Do it quick or you won't make it!”

“Where do I go?!” he wailed.

“Anywhere, it doesn't matter! Just far away from us as possible! Now go!”

Without any hesitation (or a push from Suicune), Entei obeyed. His run was humorously awkward as he sped for the horizon, a mix between a sprint and a hop or skip. After watching him leave, they all turned to the Time Traveler for an explanation. Twiddling his fingers nervously, he responded, “Err... I've hung out around human civilization long enough to know... that this wasn't going to be pretty.”

“Define the antonym for 'pretty',” Palkia pressured, though he was regretting ever opening his mouth.

“Uh...”

“Is this something we should or should not know about?”

“...a little bit of both.”

“So we should know, but then again we really shouldn't, is that what you're implying?”

Celebi quickly looked behind him. “I think we should have Entei tell us when he gets back.”

“Please, like anything he says make sense,” Suicune scoffed. “We'd be here all day trying to figure it out.”

Shaymin's eyes nearly bugged out as her thoughts brought up a memory. “Wait a sec. We're mortal, right? Aren't there some things that were... 'shut down' when we were granted immortality?”

Ho-oh craned his neck in thought. “Some. There's the common belief that immortals don't bleed because they have no blood, but we still bled. I was probably thinking about gods, though, so I guess that doesn't really count. Mmm... well for one thing, we eat when we feel like it, but we can't go for long periods of time without losing the nutritions needed.” Though it went unnoticed, Mew held herself when a cold vibe ran through her body. “Sleep is more of a desire if we felt like it, again, but lack of it can still be unhealthy. Same with water... we never get sick, though. We have developed an immunity to sicknesses...”

“I should have worded it different,” the hedgehog sighed. “No, I meant are there some quirky things mortals go through in life?”

“Sex,” Deoxys coughed, pounding his chest and ducking a swing from Moltres' wing.

“Besides that.”

“Oh my God, Celebi, just tell us!” Dialga complained loudly.

“Tell us what?” Entei butted in, startling those caught off-guard.

Suicune groaned, laying a paw over her eyes and clearing the way for Raikou to explain. “He said he knows why you ran off like that.” His oculars then narrowed in suspicion. “What happened out there?”

His brother's eyelid twitched and his nose wrinkled. “I have no idea, it happened so fast. But it was gross and smelly.”

“Did you dig a hole, Entei?” Celebi spoke up, which awarded him a few glares.

“Was I supposed to?”

Shaking his head, the pixie then jabbed a finger in the air and announced, “Okay everyone, a word of advice: always dig a hole and stay out from the open.”

“Oh yes, that's wonderful advice, if we knew what we were up against!” Palkia snarled. “Besides, it's not like we've never heard about it before.”

“I thought you said you didn't know what it was,” came the smug remark, a mischievous grin on his face.

“D-Dammit, Celebi, you know what I mean! Bah, can you at least give us a hint?” Celebi only gestured to Entei. “What, it has to do with stupidity?”

“I'm not stupid, I'm just different!”

Latios slapped his forehead, groaning. “Forget it, guys, we're getting nowhere with this.” There then came another gurgle, and his eyes widened with everyone else. He swerved his head to his sister, who burned with embarrassment as she clutched herself. “Aw, f...”

“I can't help it,” she squeaked, tensing up. “It just... came so suddenly.”

“Uh oh... I'm getting that feeling, too.” And Jirachi wavered.

“It's freakin' contagious?!” Deoxys shouted, falling to his knees. “Oh, God, why are you doing this to us?!”

The volcanic beast nodded, and stood in place, watching everyone run off in different directions at once like they were fleeing from an epidemic. (Which, he thought, must have been him.) After some swears from a few Legendaries, and when the last one disappeared from view, everything was quiet. The silence made him shiver in place; the slightest howl of wind somewhere, anywhere, caused him to twitch. It may be only for a few minutes, but Entei felt like he was the last being on Earth. It frightened him. To keep himself calm, and to reassure himself everything was all right, he began to talk to himself, which was against his sister's orders.

“Aw man... did they really have to leave me here?” he whimpered. “I don't care that it's still light out and there's open space, it's just so creepy... Okay, Entei, remember what Ho-oh said, right? They'll be back. They're doing what you did a few minutes ago. Why are you thinking that, that's gross. Come on, guys, hurry it up. I'm not supposed to be by myself for long periods of time...”

“That's what you get for being a dumb-ass,” a gruff voice grunted, and his shoulder devil appeared in a puff of crimson smoke. He put down the pitchfork he had been carrying in his mouth to sneer. “If you had listened to what I said, you wouldn't be in this mess.”

“It wasn't my fault,” Entei sniveled, frowning down on his entity. “That creepy guy was chasing after me. He cornered me, I didn't have a choice!”

“Entei's right, he didn't have any other choice.” When the white smoke cleared, the shoulder angel appeared halo and all, the cloud it rested upon morphing frequently. “The cliff was over a healthy forest. He at least managed to get away. Granted, he lost his footing, but don't make fun of him.”

“Baby cherub is right, stop making fun of me!”

A “pfft” when the devil waved a paw. “Whatever, if I was him, I would have set him on fire. Fire, fire!” And he barreled over in psychotic laughter.

“I don't like setting things on fire.” He remembered the lake. “Not on purpose.”

The Entei-angel patted him on the cheek. “There, there, it's not your fault. You've been getting better.”

“Not as fast as he would like. I blame Suicune, she's such a bitch.”

“Hey, don't talk about my sister like that!” Entei growled.

“What makes you think I said it, bub?” the devil smirked evilly.

“Because I would never call Suicune tha—”

“OH MY GO-O-O-O-D!”

The echoing scream made Entei and his companions jump (and squeal with fright). From the distance, he could hear a few Legendaries yell at Lugia to shut up and deal with it. Looking at each of his entities in concern, he ran off in the water dragon's direction. It didn't take long to reach him, and he skidded to a halt beside him. “What happened here?” he asked, taking note of the beast staring in horror at the grayed bush before them.

“I-I just happened to look over and spot a...” His face grimaced, and he groaned. “Oh, it's disgusting.”

“Yeah, I know. I thought I was going to die.”

“What, no, not that.” He timidly pointed at the brush. “It's what's in there.”

Feeling adventurous, Entei poked his head through the bristles, and his face fell. Lying there in a crumpled heap was a decomposing corpse still in uniform. He yelped and stumbled away, keeping back a gag. “That's gross!” he gasped. “Oh, why'd you pick this spot, Lug? It smells of death everywhere!”

“I didn't know it was there until I looked for the source. Did you see the eyeball staring at you?”

A shiver ran through the volcanic dog's spine. “I don't think so.”

“Oh, guess it must've gotten knocked out or something when I moved.”

“Should we bury it, or leave it here?”

“I was thinking that after we get over the shock of it, we can take it back to the others and freak them out.”

“I'm not touching that.”

“Me either.”

They stood there for a moment's silence, growing dizzy from lack of oxygen (they were trying not to breathe in). When they couldn't take it anymore, the two hurried back to the group, attempting to shake off the horrid scent and tremors.

Suicune scowled at her brother. “Where'd you run off to? You were told to stay here.”

After taking in a long—and rather loud—breath, he replied calmly, “Lugia screamed, didn't you hear him?”

Deoxys gave the thunder bird an odd look before crossing his arms and glancing up at the sea beast. “What do you have to say for yourself, Lugia?” he said harshly. “Was it an emergency that you just had to scream it out to make yourself feel better?”

“We found a dead guy!” Lugia piped up without shame.

“Okay, what's Lugia rambling on about this time?” Rayquaza grunted, settling off a ways from everyone. “Actually, I'm surprised it's not Entei this time.”

“Dead guy in the bushes!” the mentioned Legendary repeated. “It was gross!” His sister swiped him upside the head.

The Air Titan rolled his eyes. “Duh. I saw one too, but you didn't hear me sing my heart out.” He sneered in Lugia's direction.

He threw his wings up in defense. “How was I supposed to know it was there? I didn't really feel like looking around.”

“Then next time keep your trap shut about it. I honestly thought you were getting a heart attack out there.”

Latias swooped into the picture, anxiously staring up at Lugia. “What happened out there?” she squeaked. “You okay?”

“Can we wait until everyone else is here before you bother telling us again?” Zapdos muttered. “I don't want to hear it another hundred times.”

“Is this another of your 'I'm very visual' excuses?” the alien muttered.

“No, I just don't want either of them to repeat it a gazillion times.”

“But you said 'hundred',” Entei corrected.

“You know what, Entei, just shout it out to the heavens, why don't you!” he snapped, electricity crackling from his wings when he flapped them in irritated defeat. “Everyone can pretty much hear you no matter how far they are! So just shout it out! Go on!”

Shrugging, he took it up on the offer, and hollered as loud as he could, “You guys won't believe it, we found a dead guy! It was sick!” Then he spread on a goofy grin. “How's that?”

Zapdos only gave an “a-okay” gesture with his feathers, his face clearly screaming sarcasm.

Latias, in the meantime, fainted.

*~*~*

The afternoon was spent (or wasted, depended on the Legendary's intake of it) on splitting up and scavenging through the land of Orre for anything of interest, or to perform a few duties such as burying corpses, and finding food, or at least the seeds. They had gone in groups, only for some to be cut in half due to intense arguments or complaints; others mainly because they weren't teaming up as well. The one group who had Registeel lost him in a deserted town for a time until he was found constructing a life-size figure of himself, claiming he was making himself a mate.

“Because there are only eight females, but Mew's the only fertile one,” he indicated when asked about it. “The only thing I'm missing right now is how to bring her to life.”

“And 'she' is missing internal and reproductive organs,” Celebi had blankly pointed out, unimpressed. He was received the finger, and the iron-clad Legendary was relocated to a different group.

In another, Cresselia appeared to have gone missing for a moment, but they found her reporting/protesting to Ho-oh about Deoxys' shrewd comments. “I can't take it anymore!” she practically shrilled hysterically. “I've put up with him and his sexual harassment for far too long! I demand a restraining order!”

“Which requires a judge to approve,” he butted in with his smart-aleck statements.

They were reassigned to two separate groups. Cresselia remained with the original—which contained Darkrai and Jirachi—while Deoxys went with Rayquaza and Entei. After a cruel joke about “extra protein” in the corpses, they had to return to the campsite with stomachaches and for the alien's punishment. The short naps the two were required to take ended up having them suffering nightmares in which Cresselia was called back to heal them. Which in turn resulted in the failure of the restraining order. (She couldn't conjure up any dreams.)

Sometime in the late hours of the afternoon, everyone had regrouped together for a lunch break consisting of what some were able to salvage from any trees found still intact. Raikou returned a little later with a strange human article laid upon his head. “What'd you do this time?” his sister grumbled, glaring at the dirtied object.

“Nothing, all I did was look through rubble in some town not far from here.” He wrinkled his nose. “Why? Am I really that dirty?”

“No, you have something on your head.”

He dropped it at his feet. They all stared quizzically at the curiously-rounded protruding cups and small hooks. The electric tiger didn't even blink. “Oh, that. That's my new hat-earmuffs of sorts. Keeps the ears warm and dust-free. Neat thing, it is. And the great thing about it is the inside is padded, so it's rather comfortable.” He then grinned. “It's weird, it's like it was made to fit my head. I think the straps are supposed to hook underneath my chin, but I don't have thumbs, so I couldn't test it to be sure.”

“Where'd you find it?” Azelf spoke up, brows raising slightly.

“Erm... I think it was once a house, I dunno. There were a lot just like it, but this one was cleaner and fit more. Pretty cool, eh?”

*awkward edit*

Mewtwo suddenly stood up and walked several feet away to sit on a boulder, back turned. “What's with him?” Dialga snorted.

“I think he's jealous,” Groudon snickered. “Wishes he could have a hat-earmuff thing like that. Raikou, you need to show us later where the stash is. Could be useful for winter.”

Kyogre, half-submerged in the lake, didn't bother to glance up at the titan. “You don't have the ears for it.”

“Shows what you know, dumb-ass.”

Ho-oh, after taking a long look at the item, grimaced. “I've seen one of those before...”

“Awesome, Ho-oh! Where?” Raikou bounded in place excitedly.

“Well, uh... normally you don't see them visible in public... but I have peeked in on a few people.”

“Oh, my God,” Lugia hissed in disgust, an eye twitching.

“Not like that, Lugia.”

“I don't know you anymore,” he muttered, putting up a wing and averting his gaze. “I looked up to you, and it turns out this is the Legendary you've always been.” Giratina rumbled with silent laughter.

Rolling his eyes, the phoenix resumed, “Anyway, from what I had witnessed, it's a clothing article.”

“We can see that,” Zapdos interrupted.

Shooting him a warning glance, he added, “It's a female's clothing article. They wore it on their chests under their shirts.”

Immediately Latios' shielded his sister's eyes, Shaymin spun Manaphy around, Articuno smacked Lugia for gawking at it, Darkrai and the Lake Trio flushed, and the remaining males “ooh”ed or groaned (or just brought attention to themselves making a big deal out of it like children). Raikou paled and turned to Suicune, expecting her to hit him. She chose not to, she could tell he hadn't a clue what he had brought back.

Deoxys, in the meantime, guffawed as he picked it up, stretching it out at arm's length. “Well, whatever female owned these must have gotten lucky or she was a slut. Possibly both.”

“Deoxys, that's just wrong,” the moon swan snarled.

“Wha-a-at, I just happen to know a little bit about the female human, so I knew what this was all along. They pretty much tell you what kind of female they were. Glad to know I'm not the only one.” He cheekily smirked at Ho-oh, who only crossed his wings and looked away. “Thankfully, as interesting as they were, I had no reason to hang around them. Their damn hormones scared me, the way they were all up in a male's face and all that.” He shuddered with a wince, then muttered darkly, “That one night screwed with my head, I never want to see that again. I just about gouged my eyes out.”

“Well why didn't you?” she sniffed.

“I did, but they regenerated back. I'm not that perverted, yeesh.” He took another good look at it again, disregarding Cresselia's scoffing. After pinching the cups (and receiving weird stares), his eyes then trailed to the background, and he snickered wickedly.

The back of Mewtwo's neck prickled and he slowly glanced behind to catch Deoxys' eye glint. Eventually, everyone also turned to stare at him, slightly leaning in. “Why am I getting that feeling a devious plot is developing?” he inquired nervously.

“I find it too bad it's a piece of female clothing,” the alien cackled drawlingly, stepping toward the psycat. “But it just makes us feel a little remorse for the poor fool who winds up wearing it.”

He shot up from his seat. “You are not implying that I am to wear that?”

“Why not? You're the only Legendary with a visible chest. Next to Groudon, but he's too big for it.”

“I refuse to take part in this childish activity.”

Deoxys snorted a laugh. “It's not childish, we're experimenting.” He then paused at the flash in Mewtwo's eyes and had a second thought. “Well, not in that context. I meant it's just for fun. And besides,” and here a grin was audible in his speech, “it looks like it's your size.”

“Deoxys, it's not funny anymore,” Darkrai spoke out. Flustered, he choked out a giggle that made Cresselia shoot him a look. “Err, honestly, let's just go back to pretending it's a hat... earmuff thing.”

Raising a brow and tilting his head in the group's direction, Mewtwo demurely remarked, “There. I have testimonials to back me up.”

The alien spun around unhappily. “You guys suck! Rayquaza, buddy, I thought you were backing me up on this!”

“How the hell was I supposed to know?”

Laughter spread.

“Seriously, I thought I told you to come hold him down!”

Mew then flew up and swiped the piece of clothing from his hands. “That's enough, Deoxys. Thank you for the laughs, but you've done enough today.”

He oddly gaped at her in slight astonishment, then leaned back and crossed his arms. “Is that a threat?” he slyly asked.

“What?”

“Said if that was a threat. Since when did you start bossing me around, let alone stop me from playing a joke on Mewtwo?”

“I'm not threatening you, I'm just...” She glowered at the item, then held it out to Deoxys. “This is a bra.”

“A what?”

“It's what the humans called it. I thought you knew.”

“I'm not that informative. I may have seen it, but it didn't mean I heard what it was called.” He then started to choke out a chuckle. “Honestly, where'd they pull that name out of? 'Bra', really?” His eyes then narrowed suspiciously. “Hey, wait. How'd you know the name?”

With a disgusted scoff, she threw it in his face. (Mewtwo swerved around for an awkward coughing fit to hide a smile.) “You're despicable, you know that?” she nearly shouted.

“Hey, these things are adjustable!” Deoxys suddenly blurted out, snapping the straps and noticing a plastic slider on each one. “Maybe they will fit on Groudon after all!”

“Oh, for the love of—”

“Mew, if you're so concerned about it, why don't you wear it?”

Face red enough as it was, she snatched it back, and her fist caught fire. It spread rapidly through the fabric until nothing but the wire base was left. Everyone, Mew included, was taken aback at how quickly it extinguished with the flames. Slowly, she handed it back, muttered incomprehensibly to herself, and chose that moment to go for a walk. Latias and a few other females followed immediately afterward, while some males went back to what they were doing minutes ago—though others improvised what they possibly might have done. Deoxys gawked at what remained of the bra and excused himself. Upon passing Mewtwo, the skeleton was turned over to him. Unsure what to do with it, he kept it clenched in his hand, refusing to look at it.

An awkward silence fell for a while.

Then Entei showed up, and yelled out (thus startling those who didn't see him come up), “Deoxys, you psychotic bastard, thanks a lot! Because of you, black liquid came out of my butt! And it wasn't pretty!”

Suicune threw up.

*~*~*

The weeks that followed weren't pleasant. After the second day of their new lives, or so they would curse, they traveled away from the desolation of Orre for a place that looked more suitable to fit their needs. Celebi guided them to a small area he had helped revive prior to their mortality (as he found himself unable to even grow grass), and decided to camp there. Even so, food was still scarce. Any morsel they found they had to pry out the seed to plant and made sure to keep it nourished. Water was tricky, as Kyogre and Manaphy relied on it, and after many complaints about risk of contamination to the fresh water, they moved closer to where both the ocean and fresh water was still available in a few close places. Still, Heatran was asked to dig for a spring when more concerns and whining came up about walking to and fro, when in actuality, they didn't want to pass a town. Or what remained of it. Lugia, after taking a look around, had confirmed it to be the remains of Cherrygrove City. So they buried every inhabitant they could find and hunted through the debris for anything of use.

Eventually fights had begun amongst the males over who got to pair up with who. The moment Mew had tried to break up the conversations, she was forced to endure the hoards of the so-called horny males, as Lugia had described, that pushed to get a “word” with her and ask for her permission. Until Ho-oh finally prohibited a certain few to keep their distance, she was harassed left and right to the point Shaymin had to take her into the little forest for a few days to calm her down. Once it had blown over, as uncomfortable as she felt under the stares and (occasionally) ogles, she trusted enough Legendaries to stay in the group. Though every now and then, in the city somewhere, she would catch wind of bickers and complaints.

Among the many things that they had to live with, sleep was unanimously adapted to easily, aided from being a previous pleasure to begin with. Now that Darkrai was no longer giving off negative vibes that provoked nightmares, everyone, the phantom included, were pleasantly rested—only after everyone had claimed their preferred resting spots. The biggest complaint about sleeping, however, besides arguing over who slept where, was having to wake up in the early hours for their daily chores and work. As was to be expected, though no less frustrating, some were more early birds than others.

Eventually, in the third week of their staying at Cherrygrove, the first birthday was announced. While it was usually a happy occasion for Latias, she cried when they said “one year older” in the song (though the Legendaries blamed a few reluctant ones who were purposefully screwing up the rhythm and melody) and was depressed the whole day. Only Latios was permitted at her side the rest of the day.

“She'll get over it eventually,” he sighed later that night when Mew came to check up on her. Then he nervously laughed, rubbing his head. “To be honest, we never sang that version. I didn't even know it existed.”

Then one morning, Mesprit was the first to wake up and go to the woods to fulfill her daily needs. When she glanced into the water to wash her face, her eyes went wide and she screamed. Everyone jumped up with a start, and Uxie and Azelf hurried to their sister. Fearing the worst, they all followed into the clearing to see the fairy pale and tear-streaked, wordlessly pointing at the lake.

Shrugging, he did, and after a few moments, stepped back in rare somberness. Concerned, Ho-oh took his turn, only to pull back gravely. “What is it?” Jirachi gasped.

With a low sigh, he simply pointed at the water and trudged back to their campsite. Hesitantly, one by one, they went forward to glance down, then left without another word. Some cried, others shook their heads, but they all had a similar expression on their faces. Mewtwo was the last after the Regis had their chance. He tilted his head down, staring in near-incredulity at his reflection. It was a disturbing sight, he understood right-away why everyone went quiet and were horrified. Used to perfection, they couldn't see it happening to them at any time.

Him? He was not surprised by it. Had it not been that he knew his appearance well, he wouldn't have recognized the mirror-image of himself.

It explained everything: the fatigue, the effects of not eating... self-hygiene, the negligence was there, visible in his form. The dark circles visible from the dirt on his face were the only mysteries, he was very certain he was getting enough sleep. But he understood the prevailing bony structures of his cheekbone and jaw having made themselves known. Looking further, he felt along his ribcage, just barely feeling the spaces between each rib, then reached behind to touch his spine. Gazing down at his arms, they had indeed been looking bonier, he didn't imagine that a few days back. His shoulder blades were rougher, more visible, his hour-glass figure thinner. It didn't make sense why his legs hadn't given out under him, but he was still standing the way he always had.

Mewtwo suddenly thought back to his fellow Legendaries. Now that he was thinking about it, he had been noticing they were looking different. It was like they were returning to how they were before Arceus came, only much worse. No longer immortal, their bodies became unable to retain the same figure for months on end, and the effects were shown within weeks. It really was a wonder they didn't collapse from it all.

Taking a deep breath, he walked back to where the others sat in silence. They were all staring at the ground, unmoving, trying to take in what they had seen. Mewtwo pitied them for a moment. “I trust we are all hunting down food today?” he quietly asked.

That wasn't the answer he was expecting, but then again, it was possible they were trying to get over it. Just not as fast as he would have liked. “If you keep this up, you will. Now answer my question.”

“What's the point, we're all losing the meat from our bones,” Rayquaza grumbled. “Besides, there's thirty-three mouths to feed, and not enough trees.” Entei mumbled a “Heh, rhymes” without enthusiasm.

“We will manage, we have been planting.”

“True... and they have been growing well,” Celebi gave his insight, shrugging slightly. “But even then, they don't bear fruit for a while.”

“You're talking about berry trees, Cel,” Articuno corrected.

“Mewtwo was talking about berry trees and whatever else we've been growing.”

“They're all dea—oh, that gloom.” A few Legendaries glared at him, then returned to their moping.

Mewtwo shook his head and massaged his temples. “I cannot believe you are all acting this way,” he snarled. “What are you, figures of legend, or spoiled brats?”

“We're not spoiled brats!” Groudon roared, standing to his full height. “Who the hell do you think you are to call us that?”

The clone shot his piercing leer at the land titan. “I am who I am. You can go be whatever you like, just do not expect us to put up with you.”

“I already am what I already AM,” he hissed. “You can go be whatever you like.”

“What is it with you? Just because you saw what you look like now does not mean you will forever look like that!” Mewtwo shouted, pointing at the forest. “Is that what this is all about? Are you all frightened of what you have become now that you are just giving up? I thought you were legendary for this sort of thing!”

“We are legend,” Palkia grunted.

“I was talking about survival!”

“What does survival have to do with this?” Giratina retorted, spiked wings folded tightly against his back.

“Everything!”

“You know what I think? I think your brain has finally given out on you, I've never seen you so hysterical about this.”

He ignored the nervous, empty feeling in his chest to back himself up. “Why must you treat this as a joke? I am being serious here! Were we not given a second chance at this? Do you not believe that we have been kept alive for a reason?”

“Mewtwo, are you going to be preaching to us?” Ho-oh interjected, raising a brow then shrugging. “I'm just saying.”

It was a bit abrupt for the Sky Guardian to speak in such a way, but Mewtwo retained his composure quickly. “No, I am not. I am just trying to make a point. Does it not seem strange to you that we lived through the disaster even with grievous wounds?”

“Says you, I don't recall seeing a scratch on you,” Darkrai pointed out, crossing his arms. “Come to think of it, you have always looked the same, even when the rest of us were falling apart.”

“That does not matter at this point.”

“Well maybe it does because of the reason why you're in better shape than us.”

“I am not in better shape myself, none of us are!”

“But in comparison to each and every one of us, you pretty much are.” The psycat gaped at Uxie, who then gave an apologetic shrug. “That's what I'm seeing, anyway. I'm not disagreeing with you on the whole issue here, Mewtwo. I'll admit, I don't know what got over me when I looked in the lake and saw what I have become.” He glanced sadly over at his sister. “What we all have become. If you want something to blame, blame stress. These past few weeks haven't been good to us.”

“So what Mewtwo's saying is that we had lost our survival skills overtime?” Suicune guessed.

He gave an audible growl. “I swear, you are making this more difficult than it sounds! All I asked is if we are looking for food today, and you backtracked it into something completely different!”

She shrank back. “Sheesh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was a personal issue.”

“It is not personal! God, you insolent selfish—” Spinning around, he stormed back into the forest.

It was quiet for a minute before Celebi fluttered off his seat. Gazing solemnly upon everyone, he hovered for a different path of the forest. “Anyone's welcome to join me. I'll be needing all the hands I can get.”

Without hesitation, Mew tugged on Latias' hand and the two floated to his side. Latios immediately followed, as did Cresselia, Jirachi, and Manaphy. With a nod and another scan of the other Legendaries, the pixie and the small group entered the trees. Throwing down the rock he was fiddling with, Azelf shot off, his siblings not far behind. The Legendary Beasts, without any consultation amongst themselves, ran after them. Kyogre submerged and swam out into open water, unable to fit into the rivers. After staring at each other long enough, eventually everyone got up and strolled into the forest. Ho-oh was the last to make up his mind and joined in the search.

When Mewtwo returned a good half-hour later with hordes of berries and roots he had found, he nearly dropped them. The waiting Legendaries turned around to acknowledge him over, their findings in a large mound in the middle.

*~*~*

It was decided they weren't going anywhere anytime soon, not while there was still green in the area, so the outskirts of Cherrygrove was looking to be a permanent residence for the Legendaries. After enough fruit was found, they had gone ahead to start plowing a small garden not too far off to grow saplings and transfer them around the world when they were ready, and for food later on. (Though Celebi hinted it would turn out to look like an orchard if everything went well.) Any vegetables that were found were immediately ground up for the seeds and planted into the earth. Teamwork was quickly authorized so everyone felt like they contributed to something for the sake of healing the planet. All of them, at some point or another, had to go about the globe and collect seeds and horde any food they came across.

And while those select few were gone, everyone else was busy fixing up the surrounding areas and outward. City remains were cleaned up and confiscated of (except for the useful items they found), bodies were buried, and weak, unhealthy trees were removed to give those that were strong enough to survive decent sunlight and room to grow. There was thankfully rain that still came to help water the still-sprouting crops, so it relieved everyone to know the earth had not forgotten its own needs.

Not counting the arguments and storms that came up every now and then, everything was peaceful. The only thing that was different were the Legendaries' countenances. While enough food and water was found to keep them sustained every day, they could tell they were still slowly withering away, some more than others. They would say they skipped out on meals to work in the fields longer, but while they meant well, the anxiety on their fellow brethren and sisters was great. It didn't help that now they were vulnerable to sicknesses that still plagued the world, though only a few had gotten sick enough for bed rest thus far.

It was noted from time to time that no one bothered to mention anything about bringing forth any offspring. When Ho-oh had been approached on that matter, he had simply stated they weren't ready yet, and that it was still too early to tell if the planet was going to recover. That knowledge kept the few antsy males at bay, much to the gratitude of the females, mainly Mew. In the meantime, friendships were growing in the small group as everyone got to know one another better. What was once a terrible tragedy for the antisocial Legendaries turned out to be successful, having found themselves opening up to the company they were now stuck with indefinitely. Rivalry, while still prominent, was kept to a minimum. Most were limited to verbal fights, usually unsurprisingly between Deoxys and Cresselia until others were getting involved.

No one had been keeping track of what the month or day it was until a calendar was found with its last checked-off date being the day before the great extinction. After a week of counting off the minutes until each sunrise and sunset, the temperature rise and fall, and having Celebi check the status on the plants, it was concluded they were nearing an equinox. “Thank the heavens the earth hasn't tilted too much on its axis!” the former Time Traveler sighed in relief. “That could have messed up the entire schedule, and we would have starved when winter comes around.”

“So... when's harvest?” Entei asked.

“Give it a few more weeks. As long as no one pigs out and steals food from the storage,” and he leered warningly at the larger Legendaries as he said it, “we should be able to have enough stored for winter.”

(The Pokémon Center was incredibly the only one intact enough with a still-running freezer they had decided on using even after Regice had said he could handle it.)

The berry tree saplings were getting greener and stronger by the day. It was believed they would be ready to bear fruit sometime at or after harvest, but before winter. So while they waited for them, they helped themselves to the available trees that were still standing, as they bore new fruit every few days. There weren't a lot, but they had been living on them long enough they wouldn't starve to death; a little miracle Celebi couldn't help but ponder on. All the while, to help pass the days away, the Legendaries found ways to entertain themselves to forget their troubles for the moment. These moments, whether dumb or genuine, helped many to smile a bit in a long while.

As was the case one night when Rayquaza had suggested telling scary stories around the fire, only for it to end up as charades that didn't work out very well. Mew had helped start the game and explained the rules to those who didn't know the concept, but eventually everything had gone out of whack. It was once Giratina began picking fights with a few others that the game was forgotten. The feline, by that time, already found herself in conversations with an inner circle of girlfriends and could not care less what was happening, unless it happened to catch her attention.

Mewtwo, as he surveyed from across the flames, was a bit awed at how Cresselia wasn't among the group and was instead with her counterpart. She had curiously been around him in recent weeks, whether in silence, small talk, or engrossed in conversation. It got him interested, yet envious all the same. There was something rather positive going on between the two that he couldn't share with his own. True, she wasn't avoiding him as much, but the two rarely spoke to each other. If they ever did, it was awkward and only on the current events, nothing else. He could tell by the way he caught her gazing at him that she was concerned herself. It was possible she wanted a chat, just at a different time that had yet to happen.

The clone sighed to himself, shaking his head slowly. Such wishful thinking just wasn't meant to be. Not even he could lie to himself to feel better about it.

“I'll take two guesses as to whom it is you're focusing on,” Ho-oh made himself known as he perched beside Mewtwo. “And I suppose it'd be obvious the first is Mew, but if not her, the second would probably be Cresselia.”

He glanced over with a raised brow. “You sure you are not part Psychic?”

The phoenix crowed quietly. “Ah, I wish. I'm just so damn good at reading people, I could have been a lie detector in a previous life.”

Mewtwo breathed out a chuckle. “Possibly.”

“But unfortunately, I still can't read minds, so you'll have to tell me because I'm nosy.” He laughed again at his little joke. “What's it about them that's bothering you?”

Tilting his head to the side, the psycat only gave a small shrug. “It varies between reasons and thoughts. I was just thinking about Cresselia's social life with Darkrai. They have been around a long time, but I am pretty sure they should have a better connection than what I am feeling from them.”

A rather sad sigh came from Ho-oh's beak as he looked over at the two as well. “They did, at one point. I had never seen them so happy, and they haven't been since.”

Mewtwo blinked up at the majestic bird. “When? What happened?”

“Only I knew about it until the news reached the other Sinnoh legends. They were sworn to keep it a secret, though Cresselia only shared it with a few of her friends. I shouldn't be telling you this, but it's been so many years, I doubt they care if it's public.” He slowly took in a long breath, eyes closed. “It was a few centuries ago when the two started to realize they cared for one another. Better yet, it was like they could feel each other's pains, emotions, and thoughts. One always knew what to say to the other, even if it meant starting a huge argument. They rarely went physical, but they've had conflict for so long, I suppose it was a part of the relationship unconsciously—I think that's how it was, I can't think of a better way to describe it. Well, once they noticed this, they became inseparable. Darkrai actually came to tell me personally they had decided to be life-mates.”

“Those two?” Mewtwo gasped, eyes wide. “Honestly, Ho-oh, back then they were? I can see it now, but... at the time they were?”

Ho-oh cracked a smile at his astonishment. “Oh, they definitely were. I didn't believe him either, but he was serious. Despite all that dark interior, he could never lie. And it all clicked in after they arrived at that meeting together with an intimate closeness. It had a lot of Legendaries concerned.”

That had been back in the day when it was common for Legendaries to skip out. Mewtwo had not made regular appearances until Mew had urged him to go when she sensed the world taking a wrong turn in its history. “I think it's important you start attending more, Mewtwo,” she had told him. [/i]“I don't know what's going on, but something is changing in the world, can you sense it? It's not a good feeling, is it? We're having one later in the month. Please don't be late.”[/i]

The words barely faded out of his thoughts before the Sky Guardian resumed speaking. “I didn't see them much for another century, I trusted they were happy. When I did visit them, they had a child ten years before.”

“They what?”

“Hard to believe, I know. But believe me when I tell you, Mewtwo, that he was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. He was so much like his father, but he had Cresselia's eyes and spirit. A perfect combination, if you ask me. If memory serves me correctly, he called me 'Uncle Oh'.” A quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest, before he fell silent. His voice quieted to a murmur. “That was the only time I saw him.”

Still in shock from the old news, Mewtwo did not like where it was headed. “What had happened?”

The shouts of Suicune threatening bodily harm on her fleeing brothers distracted them for a minute before Ho-oh continued where he left off. “I only saw him once because a disaster befell them not a season later. Darkrai was taking him camping or a father-son's outlet thing, I don't know myself. All I know is they were in a forest somewhere in Sinnoh. It had suffered from a forest fire a year prior to it, and so the trees were falling apart. He had heard some humans not too far off and told his son to run, that he would be right behind him. He stayed true to his word, catching up after he misled the group away to another pathway. He told him to stop at the worst possible time when a tree decided to crumble that very moment.”

He hung his head sorrowfully. “Darkrai didn't return to Cresselia for a few days, which of course worried her. When he did show up without the boy... the grief was so bad, half of the continent was plagued with nightmares for weeks before she would do anything about it. By that time, he went into isolation for a few years. Of course, no one knew about it, that was really the whole point.”

Though saddened by the story, Mewtwo was confused as to why the two were now together as such. “Then how does that explain...” he trailed off, nodding his head in their direction.

“She found him so many years later and forgave him, and just asked that they'd be friends.”

He could believe that, given Cresselia's nature. “And Darkrai?”

An uncomfortable pause stagnated between them.

“He has of yet to forgive himself,” the phoenix breathed out, shaking his head. “Had he did, it's possible they would have had another child by now. They never did break that vow, they just chose to ignore it. Even today, they are still bound by it. They know it still exists between them, though I do not know if they're willing to renew it.”

The long-term silence grew between the two, even to the point all surrounding audience sounds faded into the background. It was hard to imagine Darkrai and Cresselia, two opposites to balance out the other, being together as more than friends. Seeing them with a child was very difficult, yet not improbable. Mewtwo created an image in his head of the boy as a combination of the two: a miniature version of Darkrai with Cresselia's eyes and her spirit—her personality. Try as he might, he just could not see how beautiful he was. It was pretty much Darkrai just smaller and more cheerful. In a sense, it was awkward. Maybe if there was a name to the face, it would look better. That was all he was missing.

Quietly as he could to avoid disturbing the atmosphere, he timidly inquired, “What was the child's name?”

Ho-oh did not answer at first, though it was possible he also didn't hear him, still too in tune with his thoughts. The far-away look in his eye was evidence enough he was lost in a memory. It was rather frightening to see him unfocused like that. Mewtwo hoped he wouldn't have to go through this again.

Then, in a hushed whisper, he slowly replied: “...Adam. Because he was the first kin of Legendary. The first flesh.”

And the conversation was over.

Forcing himself to look away, the clone noticed Mew wasn't with her friends. Glancing around, he managed to spot her heading for the dark forest before the shadows shrouded her from view. A previous thought returned to him, and his stomach clenched. This would be his chance, he realized. They would be alone, he could speak to her freely then. Standing up, he headed in her direction.

“Mewtwo.”

He looked around obediently, locking with the stern gaze Ho-oh was giving him. In the lighting of the fire, his eyes looked more sunken in than normal. “She still has not forgotten about that day,” he quietly reminded. “Keep in mind your limits so we do not get a repeat of it. No one needs to know beyond what they already know.”

With a curt nod in understanding, the clone slipped away into the shadows.

*~*~*

She had been feeling a slight disturbance in the air for a while now. It wasn't familiar, but at the same time, Mew knew what it was in the back of her head. It was at its strongest when she slept, swearing it was calling her name. The scariest part of it was the pull. Every time she heard her name—the name her mother gave her—it tugged at her heart. It frightened her. She would have gone to Cresselia about it, but each time she attempted to, her throat would seize up. For reasons unknown, it was like someone was choking her in attempt to silence her.

It was probably from when Mewtwo...

No, she shouldn't think of that. He hadn't touched her since that day. But those eyes. What was it about them that was...

Mew shook her head, her ears lowering. Oh, God, why was she thinking about him? Why did she have to look over at him across the fire? He may have only been staring thoughtfully (transfixed?) at it while having an inaudible conversation with Ho-oh, it was just that one action brought up so many thoughts she didn't wish to recall. That was why she had to excuse herself. She needed to be alone, to clear everything up so her friends wouldn't get suspicious enough as they were.

Now she was thinking like she was a criminal. What friend would be suspicious of her just because she couldn't keep her train of thought from running off? Why was it that every time she heard his voice or even caught a glimpse of him—

There she went again. She moaned and rubbed at her eyes. “Why can't I get you out of my head?” she muttered to herself.

“Get who out?”

Gasping, the feline spun around, backing away a little at the sight of her clone standing there, staring at her curiously. (Wait, was that even the right word for him? she caught herself suddenly.) She shook her head immediately, waving her paws around. “No-no-no-no! I mean no one! It's no one, just a something!”

He blinked, tilting his head as he crossed his arms. Mew panicked within her own thoughts. He wasn't believing her. She was doomed, even more-so when she realized it was just the two of them. She had hoped this wouldn't happen. Quickly, she tried to defend herself. “It's a something that... has been bothering me for a while now.” Now a smile, convince him!

Mewtwo glanced down at her sheepish grin. “What is it, then? Perhaps I can help you sort it out.”

“No! No, no, no, I want to figure it out on my own!” She wasn't acting like herself. He wondered if perhaps it wasn't a good time to speak to her.

“You have been sleeping, right?”

“Yeah, I make sure to get a good night's rest!”

Averting his vision away from the awkward smile of hers, he made himself shrug. “Then, I guess you have just been worked up. Unless you were needing some... privacy?”

“Nope, nothing of the sort!”

To be honest with himself, Mew was scaring him a little. She had her moments of hyperactivity, but those days were long gone. From what he had witnessed in Mount Quena, there was no way she would be able to relive those days. His only guess was she finally went mad from it all. He was sorry he even pursued her into the woods.

Sighing, he gave in, feeling they were not going anywhere. “All right, then. I suppose I will leave you be.” He turned to leave.

Her hands grasped his wrist tightly.

The two stared at each other in surprise, Mew for moving to touch him, and Mewtwo for her closing the space. Her heart quickened, as did his. Their thoughts went wild with “what if” fantasies. They felt the numbing electricity run through their arms into their guts, and their mouths ran dry. And whether or not there was a chill in the air, they both shivered.

Slowly, she released him a little, keeping her hands hovering close by. Her eyes danced about his face before she dropped them. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. “Yes, Mewtwo, there is something bothering me. It has been... for a while.”

He nodded in acknowledgment, gingerly pulling his arm away. She didn't make a move to grab him again. “What is it you need, Mew?”

Many responses ran through her mind, some frightening her for even thinking that way. There were way too many to burden him with, and she was sure he could only cope with a few of them. She took in a breath, asking the first question that stuck out to her. “Back then... did you find the children?”

The larvae children. There was something so very wrong about how he wanted to respond, to tell her he had. What if she wanted details? As morbid as it sounded, it was almost natural for someone to ask how another died. He didn't want to make her withdraw into another shell he'd have a hard time breaking through. So he answered with a somewhat-hypothetical question.

“What if I told you they died peacefully?”

It was too late to take it back now.

Her eyes horrifically flashed in the moonlight, a gasp dying in her throat as she backed away. He braced himself when she leered. “How dare you say that,” she snarled. “How could you be so cruel as to say that?”

“They were the most recognizable among everyone else,” he countered. “I believe they were sleeping when the cave-in happened.”

“You don't know that!” her voice raised. “How can you say that when you weren't there?”

“But is that not what you wanted, Mew? Peace to know they had no signs of fear on their faces?”

“I just wanted to know if you found them! I didn't want to know how they died, I already knew that!”

She was trying hard not to cry, Mewtwo could see the shimmering tears in the depths. It made her eyes look like glass in a downpour. His heart constricted at the sight, torn between breaking and opening up to her. He felt terrible for what happened to the young ones, however, the moment he had found them, he knew where they were. It was the same when he discovered the mangled body of Scyther. As upsetting as it was, there was peace in knowing they were now in a better place—they were saved. With that revelation, he had found no reason to shed a tear over them.

But how could he tell her that?

Mew turned away angrily, furiously wiping at her eyes and gritting her teeth. “If I didn't know better, I'd be calling you a heartless monster right now among other things,” she murmured bitterly. His chest strangely lightened up at the sentence. “Unfortunately, I've known you long enough to know you have a heart. It was just so broken when I had first seen you, that I couldn't feel it. One of those crappy reasons we even had that damn battle.” She glared down at their shadows. “Once time passed and I came to check up on you... I swear I heard it beat. And then I knew you were like us, you always had been. I think I apologized to you, I don't remember, and we had agreed to just be acquaintances. But somehow we became friends. And then... then...”

“Then more time passed,” he softly finished for her, unable to take his eyes off her moonlit body.

A small growl came from her, only less fierce, and she flew off for shelter under a nearby tree. Mew, upon feeling her skin tremble sensing his locked gaze, reached out to grasp the trunk to steady herself. “I should have known,” she continued to mumble, “I should have seen the signs. I knew you were lonely, Mewtwo, but not like that. I just figured, 'Hey, if I hang around Mewtwo more, he'll stop being so grumpy and more out-going!'” She shook her head, leaning more against the tree. “God, I was so naïve back then. All it did was strengthen our relationship even more, even under all that irritation you showed me.”

Mewtwo couldn't help but reflect on those days when Mew was as happy-go-lucky as she could be, with her bubbly laughter and numerous pranks. What should have been embarrassing, irritating moments brought out a twinge of nostalgia. “You sure left an impression, I must say.”

She smiled to herself at the memories, and her voice lightened up. “I never failed to push you to your limit. You could have killed me if you wanted to, you were just way over that. All you wanted to do was just send me far away as peacefully as possible, but you were always so angry at the end of the day.”

A small smile spread on his lips, a quiet chuckle in his throat. “You annoyed the hell out of me. Literally, I suppose.”

She managed a choked giggle. “Yeah... I guess I did... You started showing the soft side of yourself often, then.”

The clone found himself stepping closer to her, still keeping her in his line of sight. “Even so, I do not like to admit to it. I have a personal reputation to uphold.”

“Fair enough...” He smelled the hint of salt before a teardrop glinted when it fell from her chin. She vainly hid her lament when her voice lowered. “And then the world began to change. I knew that if I could feel it, then so could everyone else. Even someone who was not naturally born of this world still could... if he grew attached to it.” She paused to swallow the growing lump. “No one... is created heartless. But a person can be cruel and still have a beating heart, just without the humanity needed to live properly in this world. How is it, then... that they allowed this to happen? Had it been caught early enough, this wouldn't have happened... no one would have had to suffer the way they did.”

Mewtwo was close enough to watch her lower a hand to touch her abdomen. He wondered if she wasn't feeling well, until he noticed how tenderly her paw laid upon it. It was a curious gesture. “Celebi said it was meant to happen,” he recalled.

Mew only shook her head, back still turned to him. “I believed in God once. When He failed to show up, I no longer had faith in Him and in humanity anymore. I stopped caring... I think my heart had shut down so I wouldn't feel mercy... then it wrenched itself back to life when everything died.”

She then grew silent, face buried into the tree and hand still caressing her stomach. He had a feeling she wasn't consciously aware of it. Carefully, he reached out and pried her away from the trunk, turning her around. Her head was down, ears drooped, and the tears dripped freely as she wavered in place, her tail, arms and legs limp. He took notice of her gaunt figure, thankfully not yet to how she was when he had brought her out of the Tree. Gently, he held her chin up, gazing sadly into her watery eyes. She stared back unflinchingly, taking in his own thin features in silent, growing awe. Her vision then dropped onto his lips, and she took in a breathless gasp, darting back into his eyes.

His heart gave the command, and he leaned forward, opening his mouth for her when he was in reach of her lips.

None of them knew what happened next. Mew had seemed unresponsive except for when her eyes closed like she was expecting him, and they had breathed each other in. Either she turned or he did, the end result was the same. Both tensed in place when he grazed a kiss along her jawline, tasting the salty trail the lone tear had left behind.

The open mouth that was ready to receive him let out a trembling whimper, a tiny paw reaching up to grasp his shoulder. His hand holding her chin slipped down to rest against her sternum, feeling the heart flutter from the caress. With the other, he reached up into the tree, and snapped off what it brushed up against. Releasing his lips from her skin, he took her by the jaw to face her back toward him. They were close enough for flesh to just scarcely skim together, their mingling hot breaths all that was connecting them.

Mewtwo swiftly licked across his bottom lip to find his tongue was dry. Their noses bumped when he slightly moved forward, bringing another gasp and skipped beat, her body straightening in response. The hand on her chest slipped, feeling an unusual, yet smooth bump along his palm. Her brows twitched as her eyes scrunched, a heated flush rose to her face, but she made no attempt to shake him off. Involuntarily swallowing, the clone moved his knobbed fingers over to cup it in a gentle knead.

Mew squirmed under his touch, biting back a cry. She blindly reached back to claw into the bark, though it brought little space between them. As much as she wanted to push him away and hide herself from him, a side of her that was liking it kept her rooted there. It wanted to tell him how much he got her to burn for more of his embrace. There was a growing want for his lips again, to exchange warmth... to be pressed against the tree with his body.

As intoxicated with his breath as she was, the rosy feline tilted her head to gulp down cool air, though it stung her throat. She opened her teary eyes to cast them to the sky, only for her eyelids to flutter close when his mouth brushed against the pulse in her neck. A breath found its way out as a whimper, her hands shooting up to grasp his face before freezing in place.

“N... No...”

It was like a sigh, her chest tightening to halt her gasps. It was so quiet, Mew herself could barely hear it. Mewtwo's hand pressed harder to her breast, inducing her head to toss back when she moved. She felt herself weaken and fall into him in submission, her mind beginning to blank out.

Mewtwo... please...

The clone dropped his head to rest on her collarbone, and inhaled her in. He never noticed she, too, smelled like rain much like how she tasted. There was something fitting about her having such a pure theme to her, at how it set off his senses just right. Even now, her movements had rain-like qualities, almost as though she could wash away his uncleanliness that was rising inside him. She could redeem him of his desire within minutes...

...but why was his heart aching so?

Mew still had a grip on him, though he noticed it was loosening, her breaths uneven. Blinking, he glanced down to see he still had the plucked object in his hand, pressed into her ribcage. Slowly, he released her to take her by the hand and brought it to lay on the item, and did the same for her other paw. She was shivering, but kept her teary eyes shut as she gasped through her parted lips. With a slow, quiet exhale, he parted from her, carefully stepping back and waiting for her reaction. She remained in place leaning against the tree, albeit her levitation was shaky. He opened his mouth to say something, whether it was to wish her a good night, to apologize, or to tell her to be careful—but could not bring himself to. Without a sound, he turned his back to her and walked off, scarcely able to shake off a sudden bout of nausea.

The tiny feline hurriedly took in the cool air to chase away his presence, savoring the silver moonlight on her skin instead of his shadow, though she trembled from lack of warmth. Hesitantly, she blinked up at the underside of the tree and the star-lit sky, a wave of dizziness hitting her. With a shivering sigh, she floated down to the ground to lean up against the trunk, trying to calm down. He was nowhere to be found, something she was secretly grateful for.

The lingering passion still rattled her body with every breath, triggering a constant burning ache in her heart. It was an emotion she was not used to, and yet upon thinking back to it, it frightened her how much she was willing to take in, and at how easy it was to give in to. If Mewtwo hadn't left when he did, who knows how long they could have been there, and what it would have led up to...

Reaching up to massage her temple, Mew quickly caught the weight in her hands and then immediately almost dropped it once more. Her eyes widened at what it was, recognizing the rough skin without having to look at it.

This chapter was interesting, and surely included a lot of details to give a new setting to the chapter to come. I liked the end - we finally get some intense Mewshipping. Very very intense - that's all I can say.
Otherwise, I just like everyone's character. Sometimes, I really think Deoxys takes it too far, but I just love love love his interactions with Rayquaza. XD
Good work, and can't wait for the next installment.

Encyclopika:
Made the banner
Is a GIRL. >.>;;
Has a deviantART account and a Tumblr
Is on Fanfiction.net.Need a moveset for a specific Pokemon for a specific contest? PM me!
Don't reply to my infractions. It's not gonna change anything.
Random friend requests do nothing. Let's actually talk first. >_<

“As faith for the future faded fast
He grows strong with their displeasure
It sets him free”
-- “Deceiver of Fools”, Within Temptation, “Mother Earth”

*~*~*

When did he begin to love her, the first heartbeat of unadulterated emotion? It was so long ago, he can no longer remember the date or month. Not even the time of day, though he suspected it was the nighttime, he got that feeling of déjà vu when she was under the moonlight—she glowed with familiar beauty. All he remembered of it was she was there, just there with him.

She was always with him. They had contemplated a few times to travel together, but something would always come up to cancel it. The biggest issue was her being the Tree of Beginning's guardian. She was not allowed to stay away from it for very long, a few days at most. It would start to call her back after so many hours until she grew ill from withdrawal and had to leave. While she welcomed him, the Tree did not. He had a feeling it never liked him. Mew had tried to convince (even trick) the Tree he was a harmless visitor, yet he was rejected every time, sometimes through physical force. When it was apparent he was not allowed inside, they had no choice but to accept that little fact the Tree was off-limits. She verbally apologized about it, but Mewtwo let it go, even requesting that she would forget it and move on. So she did without a complaint.

Though when he had once asked her why she was so bound to the Tree, she was quick to correct, “I'm not bound to it, it's not like I'm a prisoner. We just have a special connection is all.”

He knew she lied. Mew was never excited about answering any questions about the Tree, it always seemed to upset her in some way, but it was in her nature to answer no matter how sensitive the question. It was how he learned only Pokémon were allowed within miles of it. Humans only knew about it from legends as very few had actually seen it, or even stepped foot on it. According to Mew, a drop of human blood or aura within its personal space (how she once defined it) would make it defensive, and its white blood cells would rampage until the intruder was disposed of. Mewtwo doubted it tossed them out, but he felt it was best to not know.

One night, he felt an urge to bring up a question. He heard of it in many cities he visited, but there were so many versions of it, he was not sure what the right one was. Even the signs of it were different. Some were more subtle than others, and then there were those that did not deserve to be mentioned of whatsoever. It was a curious topic he was sure she would know about. He inquired of her, “Mew, what is love, exactly?”

His suspicions were correct. Her smiles were usually very big and toothy, giving her the impression of innocence. The smile she gave when he asked was soft and dreamy, it matured her appearance greatly; a side of her he had never seen before. “Love has many meanings,” she replied rather happily, a hint of a sigh in her voice (which threw Mewtwo off even more). “Over time, though, people abused it so much, it lost its value and became just another word to throw around. But every now and then, I'd hear it used correctly.” Her eyes closed, the smile unfaltering. He could have sworn she became pinker. “But in general, it means to show affection, or that you care for them very much. You would do anything for that person. The three common categories love falls in is with family, friends, and couple relationships, unless I'm forgetting something.” Her lips pursed at the thought, and she frowned briefly.

“Friendship is love?”

“A type of it, yes, but most people don't think about it that way. Possibly because it makes things awkward or something.” She shrugged, giggling. “I don't see a problem with it. I always tell my friends I love them, some more than others.” Mew then looked over at him, and he flustered a little at the sly gaze. “Even my guy friends.”

He felt what might have been a blush, one that she duly noted, “Pink looks good on you, Mewtwo.” Quickly, he created space between them, turning his back on her. She only laughed. “I'm just teasing you, get back here!”

“No.”

It only made her more giddy. “Aw, come on, you know I don't bite! Much.” (His eye twitched at the memory.) “I was only making a compliment, it really was about time some color came to your face.”

“I have color.”

“But not that much.” He felt her scoot closer when he refused to budge. When her tail accidentally brushed with his, it involuntarily flicked away. She didn't seem to notice. “I don't see gray as technically a color.”

“Lavender.”

She blinked up at him with those wide eyes he promised he would never fall victim to (unless she got them teary-eyed and sparkling, it always worked somehow). “Is it really? You're always in the dark, how was I supposed to know?”

“You were not supposed to. I myself do not see it as a 'technical' color.” He raised a brow when he glanced over at her, fighting a smirk.

Mew got the joke, but decided to make a big deal out of it. “Hallelujah, the wall made a funny!”

“...what?”

She just shrugged. “Did you want me to call you a gargoyle, or a vampire or something?”

Sometimes, he wondered what really went through her head, if her way of speaking ever made sense to her. It always did bother him for some odd reason, so most of the time he chose to ignore it. When he remained silent, she turned her attention back to the city.

For a time, the two sat there on the roof of the skyscraper, enjoying the view. Mewtwo would lose interest easily and look elsewhere, usually at the stars if they were visible, though there were some clouds moving in, making it worthless. The lights were too garish here compared to the last city he had visited. That was the thing he disliked about large cities—they were too bright or fancy for his tastes, if not the occasional sound of violence. Mew managed to talk him into sightseeing this particular one. She claimed something interesting happened over the city at midnight, but time came and went, and nothing happened. He would have left had she not clung onto him and pleaded with him to wait a little while longer.

He hated it when she got her way.

His thoughts wandered again, and he went back to the “love” topic. Her answers made sense, but one still felt like it was never answered. “So... if love means to truly care for someone, then what is the meaning of 'true love'?”

Mewtwo swore she sat straighter than she normally did and froze up. Her tail lay limp behind her, and her eyes looked like they glazed over. She began to wring her hands in a nervous way. “Well,” she started off slowly, “it usually ties in with fairy tales when it comes to a princess being freed from a spell of sorts because a prince kissed her, though I think it's the original way to say 'soul mate'. Personally, I don't see it that way. It's more like a... uh... gosh, I don't know.” She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “I had the answer when I was young, I just never reflected on it a lot. From what I can remember, it's what you feel in your heart. It probably differs from person to person, but... A lot of these stories always tell you to listen to your heart, that it's always right. And some people have said it as well. So I suppose when you find someone you truly care about, that you'd do anything for, and you truthfully feel you want a future with that person, and you know the two of you will be happy... I guess that's true love.”

A flush of embarrassment came on her cheeks when she gazed up at him. “Sorry I didn't have the answer. I'm not really a big romantic.”

He just shook his head assuringly. “If it makes sense, you had the answer.”

A weak chuckle escaped her, and she rubbed the back of her head. “That's true. Thanks.”

He could not help smiling a little.

Suddenly, the city blacked out beneath them, and a buzz of clamor reached their ears, as well as a few honking and screeching of tires. Mew relaxed when there were no crashes. “Ahh, something must have happened at the power plant,” she sighed heavily. “I swear, this wasn't what I kept you here for.”

“Actually, to be honest, I prefer it this way.”

“You're on a roll, Mewtwo, cracking jokes and whatnot! You and me, we'd go places.”

“I have a better chance of becoming popular with the other Legendaries.”

“Whatever, you know I'm always ri—oh my gosh, look at that moon!”

Mewtwo rolled his eyes at her short attention span before looking over to the silver orb above them. It was a favorite pastime of his, one of his many reasons why he chose to wander the shadows. He found sanctity in its gentle light, a familiarity with it. He understood its decision to rise after the sun, the important purpose it held with the world. There was a pleasant beauty to it that could not be captured any other way but with sight. It was a shame very few people chose to look at it, and then only a small handful favored it. That was one of the things he had wanted Mew to understand about in the early days of their acquaintanceship. She had accepted it well, and as time went on, found herself falling in love with it. There were nights they did not speak at all and just gazed up at the moon. Those were really the only times he tolerated having her around. Any other time he wished her gone, or just refused to speak to her.

But somehow, Mew had understood all of that, and they became friends. He would just never admit it.

The thought made him remember her comment minutes earlier, and he turned red again. Why did she have to say that?

He tilted his stare down at her, and he paused in wonderment. There was something different about her that he could not put his finger on. Was it the way she looked up at it with a far-away gaze to her eyes, envisioning herself in a fantasy she would always blabber on about? What about her posture? She looked reverent, more mature being in the presence of such majesty. Or was it the way the lunar rays hit her at an angle where it was like she was the one letting off the light from her halo of moonlight?

It was like she was Lady Luna herself.

Mewtwo was finding himself lost in her eyes, the newfound beauty he never knew existed within her. She was far from the naïve being he knew her as. It was like she grew up, a woman if he dared call her that. If only just once, he wanted to reach out and touch her, to know if her fur felt like the warmth of moonlight. But if so, what if she was ethereal as such and only slipped out of his fingers? That thought kept him back, now growing afraid to do so.

Regardless, he was not afraid to look at her. In a way, it felt like it was more appropriate than to lay a finger on her.

She then looked over at him, her irises matching the color of the night sky with the moon as her highlights. He lost the ability to breathe, and when she spoke, he drowned in her words. They were not in a language he understood, yet it spoke to his heart. He watched as she drew closer, raising a delicate hand to his face...

Lady Luna surprisingly punched like the dickens.

“Sorry, Mewtwo, but you were in a trance, I didn't think anything else could get your attention!” he heard the apology. “You need your ears checked or something?”

The clone groaned, rubbing his face and blinking down at her. The figure was gone, it was only Mew raising a questionable brow at him, backing up a ways. He felt disappointment grow with the space between them. “I think you broke my nose,” was his response when it throbbed.

“Trust me, I punched hard enough to give you a bruise.” Her brows furrowed. “What happened to you? You wouldn't stop staring, and then you started to...” She paused, taking in a slow breath. “Was there something you needed to say?”

Mewtwo only shook his head as he leaned back, barely noticing the lights had returned to the city. “I think I just need more sleep,” he bluntly remarked. “I have not been able to for a while, actually. I should go to Cresselia about that.”

Mew looked a little uncomfortable, searching him carefully. He was pretty sure she knew he was not telling the truth. Even then, she did not show it, and only let out the small sigh she had been holding, turning away. “You probably should,” she softly gave her agreement. “Since you mentioned it, I might as well turn in for the night. I'll get cranky if I don't.” She lifted herself from the roof, avoiding his eyes. “Sorry I kept you. I guess it only happens on weekends or something.” With a small wave, she flew off. It was a gesture not like hers, but Mewtwo dismissed it as her being tired.

Secretly though, as he watched her leave, he wished she stayed long enough for him to explain what had happened. But something in his heart told him she was not yet ready, that he needed to give her time.

For how long, he did not know. He was just willing to wait for her.

*~*~*

He took his time to wake up, slowly pushing himself off the ground. Mewtwo winced when a slight headache thumped, and massaged his temples as he reminisced. There was something strange about the way he recalled that memory, it had been a long time since he last had. For the past week, more than ever, he had been dreaming about Mew either through memories or fantasies. Honestly, he was a bit grateful it wasn't a continuation of the other dreams he refused to reflect on, though he knew it was something like a prequel or prologue to what it would eventually become. He had heard somewhere dreams were a representation of desires, fears, memories, or even warnings. Maybe his recollection of the past was trying to tell him something?

But what about the other dreams? Ever since Mew rejected him, he had been getting rather vivid dreams about that day and beyond. He relied on them too long that he had started to forget the touch and scent of her until a week ago. It puzzled him that despite all that space she had put between them, she had made no attempt to push him away. If he wasn't mistaken, she had waited for him, her shivering could have been that of anxiety. Nevertheless, it was possible she was still in denial about it all, so she had moved at the last second. Or maybe he did, he couldn't remember.

Even so, he knew he could have tried again had their heartbeats not stopped him.

That very moment when they had touched, his bodily instincts were readying themselves, sensing, smelling her own desirous want enticing him. The passionate, erotic exhilarations were present: to feel all her touches, to savor each gasp of breath, moan and cry of pleasure, and to memorize every inch of skin as they cleaved together. Every virginal taste of her body would have belonged to him, to be his forbidden fruit. She would have forever been his under the moonlight.

His heart knew that when their flesh made contact, the intimate closeness still proved too much for the both of them. He never wished to ever force himself on her, he didn't know why he would want to. It was just when he breathed her in, and had her under his touch, his mind had gone wild with thoughts of what he wanted to do, which had only aroused him more. So hesitantly, against his body's wishes, he had regained composure and walked away. She gave him her breath and a salty kiss, he thought it would be lasting enough.

Unfortunately, the lust was stronger than he imagined. He couldn't remember if he had ever slept that night trying and failing to keep her out of his thoughts, and if he did, what did he dream about? Whatever it had been, it had since taken a stronger willpower to refuse looking at her for over twenty-four hours as a precaution, having attempted to let everything cool down before he could steal a glance. But try as he could, he had not been able to stop thinking of her, and he had to see her. Even if he couldn't talk to her, as the two hadn't spoken again nor sat by each other since, he just had to at least watch her do something. It had recently gotten to the point that if he didn't watch himself and kept his distance, he knew he would be latching onto her in front of everyone, or jumping her when she was alone.

Running his hands down his face, Mewtwo stood up to take a walk, weaving past the others furthest from where Mew was. Still thinking back to that night, he wondered if she did eat the berry he had handed to her as she had not eaten all that day—another reason he threw away his chance (as minor as it was). The possessive lust that ran through his veins didn't catch that, nor would it have bothered to.

From what he was able to see past the dirty thoughts, Mew wasn't looking too good. No one was, in general, but in comparison to her, everyone was doing well. He knew she was skipping meals, yet he had a feeling she was also losing sleep. There was that possibility as well she was putting a strain on herself, and risking her health to forget that night. He couldn't blame her for wanting to. Lust was an emotion he believed she would never feel in her life when all she knew was love.

Thinking about it further, Mewtwo mulled over if he was responsible for putting those thoughts into her head. After all, a being whose heart never felt a pure emotion could only have the corrupted version. There was always an opposition to all things, and there was no such thing as a fence-sitter when it came to emotions. If he didn't know love and compassion, then he must know lust and hate. Two powerful notions that if fed more could overthrow their opposites. After hanging around human societies long enough, it was all he had been exposed to. When Mew had began spending time with him, her innocent being was like a magnet to his dark heart. Slowly, he sapped from her until there was space enough to transfer his qualities over. Being new to them, she tried to fight them off, but only grew weaker from resistance. It wouldn't be long now before she would submit her will to them.

It disturbed him. He hoped—prayed that wasn't the case. Such dark emotions couldn't have affected her, she was so pure. Always she said, “Love is stronger than hate,” and he believed that. How could it be that his hate was stronger than her? And wasn't he positively sure he expelled it from himself after finding peace?

Something painfully twanged inside, but Mewtwo wasn't sure if it was his heart or stomach. However, a sharp, quick pain stung through his head, convincing him he should stop thinking about such horrid things. “Get over it,” he muttered to himself. “What is past is past, there is no room for brooding over it.”

Ho-oh had stirred awake some minutes ago and was heading for the forest to do his morning schedule. “Hey, Mewtwo,” he mumbled groggily as he walked by. “Sleep well?”

The clone made himself shrug, ignoring the headache to drop his hand. “Somewhat.”

“Good, good...” And he disappeared into the trees.

Suddenly, something sparked to life in his mind, remembering he had been wanting to ask him a question for a while now. Wide awake, he hurried after the phoenix, reaching out a hand to tap his wing. “Ho-oh, before the day goes on any further, I have a thing or two to ask.”

Raising his brows questionably, the Sky Guardian craned his neck to look behind. “What is it you need?”

Mewtwo couldn't lie to himself they weren't rather embarrassing, maybe personal questions. It took him a few minutes to figure out how to word the first one. “How... long do you estimate before we start the first, ahem, procreation process?”

Judging the peeved-off look in his eye, it was possible he was asked that dumb question a lot. “I keep telling you lot that it will depend on how well the planet recovers,” he growled softly. “I roughly estimate ten years or more. Don't ask me again.”

“I apologize that you have been hearing it lately, I honestly do not pay enough attention to anything anyone ever says to you.”

Ho-oh grunted. “'Pology accepted, what's your other question?”

Biting the inner flesh of his lip, the psycat rubbed at his arm. “It... it is about Mew.”

“What about her?” the phoenix nonchalantly said. They stopped by the lake, and he bent down for a drink and to wash his face.

How to word it... there were many questions Mewtwo wanted to know about Mew he would ask himself, but with the both of them avoiding each other, it seemed unlikely she would answer anything. Mainly, he just wanted to learn a little bit more about the species he was based off from. A few questions were buzzing around at one time, so he went with the thought that had been bothering him the longest. “Well... this is more about her—our species, but... are they, I mean the Mew species, naturally so innocent?”

Shaking the water from his facial feathers and wiping it from his eyes, Ho-oh immediately replied (now that he was awake a little more), “Everyone is naturally innocent, that's what being a child is all about. But there are some who are so sheltered from the general world, they remain in that state of mind longer than others. The Mew species just so happened to have been one of them. At least they used to be, at one point. It was when the people who revered them so loyally started learning more about the world and became part of it that they were influenced by it.”

“Every Legendary at some point or another was worshiped, that was really the only reason we were even called Legendaries.”

“I figured it was our strength and special attack.”

Ho-oh nodded as he took a swig of water. “That too, but humans are fickle when it comes to that. Anyway, the Mew species were carefree enough they took after a lot of customs of their admirers into their lives, interestingly enough. It's a weird topic, I don't understand it much myself, but that's just what they did. So when their beloved human neighbors were assimilated into the world, so did they. And many of them learned more about human nature than they were supposed to know. It had scarred them, and thus every generation was exposed to more and more as the years went by.”

The clone frowned, not liking where it was going. “Did they... take in the world's customs eventually?”

“Some, but not all. As naturally naïve as they were, they all were very intelligent, and could tell the difference between good and evil. Sometimes.” A slow, grave sigh puffed out of his beak. “Then the boundaries between the two got grayed. Before long, they had to do something really terrible before they knew they had been going in the wrong direction. By that time, though, the people who respected them took on the idea of sacrifice, and thought for a time blood of a native human or Pokémon would please a Mew. Those ruins in the Amazon used to be beautiful places until the main room became the sacrificial chamber.”

He paused for another drink. “There's an altar there where'd they lay the person or Pokémon on and kill them, sometimes in front of a live Mew. When it was apparent it wasn't appealing to them, they went ahead and tried other Mew in hopes the bloodshed of their own kind was better.”

Sick flutters grew in Mewtwo's stomach. He knew humans were cruel to kill Pokémon, but to sacrifice them as such, even those that were worshiped, had to be too treacherous to be true. “What did the Mew species do?”

“They scattered themselves across the world, of course.” Ho-oh shrugged. “It was a mistake they'd soon regret, as they steadily inched closer and closer to extinction. Mew—the one we all know—was one of the last known to survive childhood, or to even be conceived. She was born a little over a millennium ago, which was when it was believed her species finally went extinct. I suppose to help preserve her kind, she was granted immortality so she wouldn't die so easily. A Mew normally lives to be about a hundred or so years, by the way,” he added to the side. “Her mother was probably only ten years into her sexual maturity when she died, fairly young for the species. It devastated her to be left alone like that, but by that time, she had learned enough to survive on her own. The year or two when she reached the maturity age, can't remember, Arceus gave her the opportunity and she took it.”

“It does not explain her natural innocence.”

He let out a solemn sigh, shaking his head. “Mew lost that when she was originally mortal, her childhood wasn't a very good one in the first place. She just saw immortality as a way to 'get away' from cares of the world and decided to be happy... okay childish, in a way, but she eventually became happy once she went around helping people. But every now and then, she chose to be serious. You already know about that.”

Mewtwo nodded, ignoring the faint shiver running down his spine.

“Everyone has secrets, Mewtwo, secrets they try to hide by being someone or something they're not. With the goal in mind to make the world a better place, Mew figured all she had to do was be happy and be a beacon of hope to those she aided. It worked for a while, but everyone's past haunts them from time to time, and it eventually caught up to her.”

“How do you know all this, Ho-oh?”

In a gesture that bodily said “My God, Mewtwo, you're killing me with these questions”, he simply stated, “She came to talk to me about it no more than a few centuries ago, I suppose. She needed someone to spill her guts out to without going insane, so she chose me. Needless to say, it took off a lot of weight on her shoulders.”

“Until now.”

Ho-oh just nodded, then placed his wings on either side of his hipbone. “Tell me, Mewtwo, why are you so concerned about her? Ever since you agreed to take care of her some months back, it's like you've developed a closeness with her.”

Mewtwo couldn't help snorting, brusquely crossing his arms. “If I did, I screwed it up trying to make amends with her, and now she wants nothing to do with me.”

“You want to tell me what happened?”

“Why should I?”

“Because I told you about Mew's background. Might as well cough it up right now.” He then leaned forward, smiling teasingly. “Denial is always the first sign you're hiding something.”

He dropped his arms with a scoff. “Then tell me what it is I am hiding,” he challenged, “because maybe I do not know what it is.”

“Oh, I think you do, Mewtwo. I've seen the way you look at her.”

“Great, now you are starting to sound like Scyther,” Mewtwo grunted, rolling his shoulders back. “What is it with some of you getting on my case about how I look at someone?”

“What Scyther?”

“From Mount Quena where Mew and I stayed at for two months. He said the same damn thing you just said. Worded differently, mind you, but it was the same concept.”

The smile of the bird's looked creepier the broader it became. “And? What did he suspect?”

Mewtwo gawked at him like he had gone demented, in which case he might have some time ago. “This is pointless,” he huffed, turning around to leave. “Why did I even bother?”

Ho-oh stepped in the way, staring him down. “Mewtwo, I don't care if you Teleport away every time I come up to you, I will keep asking you the same damn thing he said until you answer me. What happened?”

For the first time in a long while, he felt uneasy in another's presence. It was one thing to be forced to express a form of emotion, or to at least say everything. He looked back in the phoenix's eyes like a child would look at his mother after being caught doing a wrong. His throat sealed up when he tried to speak, making him wish he could just tell him telepathically and get it over with. Ho-oh was always true to his word, he was going to keep pestering him about it if he walked away.

It caused the brows on the Sky Guardian to rise, but no other signs of movement were seen. “What forbidden act?”

The empty feeling inside pounded against him, desperately telling him to keep his mouth shut, that he didn't need to know. But his heart pressured him on since he said it. There was no turning back now. “I told Scyther... that I am a hybrid of sorts, half-Mew, half-human.” Ho-oh briefly nodded. “I said man manipulates other living beings to fulfill their own desires. And as I am not a native-born of this world, I feel there are certain... qualities given to God's creations that are kept from me, because I am of man.” The words were finding themselves easier to come out, it was keeping himself calm that was difficult. He was consciously aware he was trembling in place.

Ho-oh lowered his head a little. “Continue. What did you do to cause this separation?”

He looked up at him, emotion steadily growing in his voice. “I kissed her, Ho-oh. I may have started it, and she finished it, but the fact of the matter is we kissed. As short-lived as it was, we felt something there. I looked at her, and she looked back at me, and in that moment, something happened between us. It was like I could gaze into her heart, her soul, and see who she was. And she was broken, there was nothing left of her that I could recognize. But i-it just... it was begging. What was left of the innocence that was there, it was dying... dying with her. She was... she would have died had I not... I-It needed me. She needed me. I... I could see it in her eyes... that sadness I just cannot forget. It was so beautiful... I do not want to forget...” His body shook so hard, he dropped to his knees, tears blurring his vision. “Everything... e-even after what she had nearly become, she was still beautiful. I still continued to watch with the space between us, and then... I realized she had changed...”

What was wrong with him? What happened to degrade him like this? The pride that kept his emotions at bay, to feel when he wanted to feel, was it destroying him? Maybe he just went insane at long last, or was so drunken off his many words, he didn't know when to end. But it felt good. His only regret was not revealing this to Mew, to see her reaction to it all. It would have been delicious.

He shot his gaze back at Ho-oh, now so delirious with his emotions, he didn't care nor acknowledge he was spilling his heart out, shouting every word that pierced him greatly. “She is no longer that childish being, Ho-oh! Do believe me when I say that she went through many changes, that she has become a woman! Human concept, I know, but her mindset now is the maturity of a woman's! I see it in her, I have seen it in her, a-and it is the most heavenly thing I have ever seen God give to a creation! And you know me, why are you giving me that look like I went mad?! I am being serious here! You know I have questioned God for so many years, asked Him what purpose I have, why it is He allowed me to live, an abomination that is to forever be a constant reminder of man's sin. So what have I done to deserve looking into her soul like that when it was not my right? That right belongs to the mate who will take her as his own, and I violated it! She is not my mate, she has never belonged to me, and never will! Yet why do I suffer a lovesick heart where every thought of her sends a coarse amount of emotion through my veins? Why can I not be happy for her?”

Mewtwo took in slow, shuddering breaths, massaging his temples, and not feeling relief from it. “Even now... I tremble because of her, especially... after what I nearly did to her. Oh, Ho-oh... had I not been selfless that night, we would have—no, I would have committed a terrible transgression, it would have been all my doing. Had we gone through with it, it would be possible she would be with child, though I should know better than to think that, for I have no such ability. But she would have been mine, I could feel it. And she felt it, too.”

His head then ducked, fists clenching as he attempted to choke back his sobs. “...I love her... so I left her a virgin. That much I can give her. I will love her... but she will not love me... because of what I am...”

The more he gazed upon her, the more he fought with himself. What possessed him to even feel sorry for Mew? Better yet, what did he do while she was depressed besides visiting and hoping she would respond to his presence? She had not spoken a word the entire time then, all she did was stare lifelessly. He would have exposed her to bright light and she would not have blinked. A few times, he had moved her around, even dragged her outside the Tree, and it was the same reaction. Desperate attempts to bring out some form of response were all in vain, and Mewtwo had eventually given up. He would then wonder why he even cared in the first place, and tried not to think of her well-being.

Almost an entire year had passed by, and there was not a single day she did not cross his mind. As much as he was pressured by some unseen force to see her, he refused, trusting that others would do it for him. As revealed at the conference, only a few of her closest friends were anxious enough to, and they did little for her.

So... out of self-conscious guilt I agreed...

Mewtwo snorted a little at the thought, shifting the berry he still held as he studied her tense posture. The more he stared, the more he realized she was more than a shell of her former self. It was like she had lost her soul, but her body remained alive. The body was deceiving, the healing lake water only mended the physical being, not those of emotional and spiritual scarring. And all of a sudden, he couldn't blame her. Something had happened some time ago. As much as he wanted to find out just by easily probing her thoughts, he respected her privacy too much. When she becomes ready to tell him, she will come to him.

...since when was he this concerned about her? Was it their friendship over the years, her acts of kindness finally paying off? Was his view on her different now than it was a year ago? Did she change into a completely different person? Why was he seeing her as broken, now that her innocence had been stripped from her?

He flinched inwardly at the swarm of questions muddling up, realizing he himself had a change of heart. All that time he had denied her friendship was him trying to hide his true feelings. The idea of him, a heartless clone, being friends with her was almost laughable. But the thought of almost losing her because of his pride and negligence disturbed him. Time probably would not be as merciful the second time. If there was a way to have peace with her, he needed to do it now.

Mewtwo suddenly noticed he had leaned forward, and was paused inches away from contact with flesh. A curious thought had stopped him, asking what he saw in her. What was making this moment different from before? It could be her breath was warm, her lips pinker than normal. It was an accomplishment. Her complexion was returning, looking healthier. She was in a state of relaxation, slowly releasing her tension.

“She is a woman.”

There was something natural about the way he quietly answered it, like the title was meant for her. And in an odd way, she was one. She no longer had a hint of childlike qualities to her, neither in physique or her aura. She was stronger, but with weaknesses. She was not a goddess, but a woman. And she was beautiful.

Almost hesitantly, as the berry slipped out of his grasp, he closed space between them in a chaste kiss.

Mewtwo finally let loose when the memory faded, breaking into sobs and allowing himself to cry. “I-I am so stupid,” he croaked. “I did not think it through... but it felt so right at the time! A-And I did not want to disturb the peace... the peace that she was feeling with words... she had not felt peace in so long...” His voice cracked, and he gave up speaking, resorting to tears.

Despite her attempts to forget it ever happened, he knew it was bothering her, they were growing mad from it. He admitted it to himself he couldn't get her off his mind, couldn't bring himself to blot out that spark of innocence he brought back to life. Whatever had happened between then and his return to Mirage Island had only caused more dismay. The look in her eyes when they made first emotional contact in a while was heartbreaking. She didn't mean it, it wasn't even her that bit him. Something else had made her, whether it was from her madness or another side of her brought to the surface. He had been meaning to verbally forgive her for it, her accusation just hit a nerve that kept him silent about it. Touching the area on his arm where he knew the wound had been, Mewtwo secretly cursed Arceus for taking it away from him. Indeed, he wouldn't deny he had become more of a human than he wished to be.

The previous week... it was so different from their first kiss. He had tried for tenderness, but it was too passionate, even when he missed and grazed her jaw. His much-hated human side had taken over, replacing the comfort of love with carnal desires. Because of his actions, she came close to losing every virtue she held dear just because he wanted her that night. It had taken all his willpower then to keep from thrusting her against the tree, even after he had felt it rising inside of her as well. Because he obeyed his heart, he suffered a whole day and night's worth of withdrawal from her body like a drug addict breaking a habit. There was no doubt she had gone through the same ordeal. The more he thought on it, the more Mewtwo's heart bled.

Ho-oh, the whole time, silently watched him break down at his feet like a sinner confessing to the Father. It wasn't like him to weep about it, let alone show any other strong emotion besides rage. The situation, sentimental as it was, made him uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do. It just felt... wrong for him to know what was going on in Mewtwo's head the whole week. This was too personal, too intimate for everything to be poured out to anyone but Mew.

Gingerly, he gave his insight, “Mewtwo, you should not be saying all of this to me. I'm not Mew.”

“She will not let me near her,” the clone barely breathed out through his tears. “Not after what I did.”

“You don't know that.”

“I do know that! You have seen what happens when I walk by without saying a word to her! She is afraid of me!”

The phoenix bowed his head a little. “Well, maybe she doesn't know what to say.”

Mewtwo let out a dry laugh. “Of course, why did I not see that before? Mew has grown shy around me, and thus she cannot find the words to tell me her feelings and must only resort to body language. How romantic! It is true that actions speak louder than words!”

“Mewtwo, I have never seen you act this way before, and quite frankly, it frightens me.” He reached forward, and with a little effort forced him to stand. “You are an intelligent being, how can you lower yourself to this?”

“Oh, like many intelligent beings, human and non-human, have not gone through what I am going through,” he snorted, swiping the tears away, and sending an accused glare at Ho-oh.

Feathers bristling a little, he reasoned, “Of course they have, it's a part of life! We have been made to be attracted to one another in the idea that one day we may have children! What are you looking at me like that for, did I word it wrong or something?”

Mewtwo's face had cringed sourly at his statement, but he refused to answer. Rolling his eyes, Ho-oh resumed, “Look, the point I'm making is that we all find love at some point in our lives. But unfortunately for some people, and they don't recognize this until it's too late. Others think they may feel for someone only for it to be nothing more than a farce. They use this person to quench their thirst for a body, then move on to something else. They may claim this is love when in reality it's lust. This is more apparent in some more than others, but it happens in everyone. It's up to the person to judge themselves and question why it is they're in love with this someone, what their motivation is for staying together. A relationship can only remain strong if the couple supports one another, to equalize, and have good communication with each other. And they must recognize what it is that attracted them together, and hold true to that. Am I getting off topic?”

The psycat shrugged. “You went from love and lust to good relationship advice. You tell me.”

“Oh, for God's sake, Mewtwo, just... just go talk to Mew, and don't give me that same emo crap about her not wanting anything to do with you.”

“Why, Ho-oh, did I hear some common slang from you? I thought you were above that.”

The Sky Guardian stood there frowning unhappily at a smirking Mewtwo. “You're a smart-ass,” he grumbled, turning around and heading further into the wood. Then he looked back and pointed at the campsite's direction, “Go make yourself useful and prepare breakfast, or find Mew and talk to her. And that's an order.”

The moment he disappeared into the trees, the clone returned to the site to find only a few other Legendaries had stirred themselves awake. It was disappointing. He noticed Mew wasn't to be found, presumably gone to prepare herself for the day. An unconscious sigh escaped him, which caught the attention of a passing Darkrai.

“What's the matter with you?” he wondered, looking him up and down.

He made himself unsure of it all. “I do not know. I suppose I did not sleep well last night.”

The phantom chortled. “Mewtwo, I would have known if you tossed and turned, and you've slept better last night than you did two nights ago.”

Mewtwo had almost forgotten that even as a mortal Darkrai still had the capability to feel uneasiness pulsing in the air. He stared back, trying to picture his days with Cresselia and wondering if he could trust telling him about his thoughts. Who better to ask for advice than someone who had been through it all?

But he held back those questions to try brushing him off. “I am all right. I just... had a feeling today was not going to be a good day.”

“Yeah, I felt that, too. The spirits have been a bit restless the past couple of weeks, so I figured something was coming up.”

The feline blinked. “You can still see them?”

Darkrai half-shrugged. “Eh, sometimes. I suppose I lost some of it, but every now and then I'll see them wandering around. Same with Giratina, but since he's been around spirits longer than I have, he sees them more frequently. But most of the time, I just feel their presences.” He then leaned forward, his voice almost dropping to a whisper. “You have been noticing that, right? The world's quieter and less distracting now, surely you've felt them.”

“Why, has everyone else reported that?”

“Pretty much, but only Mew verbally brought it up that she's been seeing glimpses. If I didn't know better, I'd say she has only just seen their auras. After all, when one's learned to control the Tree of Beginning and thus quite often involved with aura, it would make sense she'd see them. It doesn't make her a channeler, because honestly, those people creep me out, but it makes her more unique.” A small grin jutted out from behind the spiked collar. “Maybe with a little bit of experience, she might be able to talk to them. I think she might help save some souls that way.” Without another word, he drifted into the wood.

Mewtwo shivered from the somewhat-awkward impression Darkrai still would leave behind and hurried more into the campground, dodging Lugia's tail when it twitched (he swore he was working on controlling it). The longer he glanced around, the more his insides writhed in his anxiety—wait, since when did he become nervous?—to speak with Mew. He was thinking he would confess to her, but suggest they remain friends, and hopefully this inward battle with their emotions would end. He couldn't bear to see her waste away again over it.

Latias suddenly bolted him from his thoughts when she clung onto his arm. “Mewtwo, Mewtwo, come quick!” she gasped.

He turned to her, frowning at her spilling tears. “What is it?”

“Latios is acting funny! I've never seen him like that before!”

The Eon dragon was one of the few who was up, he just figured he went to wash himself. It was the urgency tone, however, that gave him second thoughts. “Where is he?”

“He followed Mew somewhere over there,” and she pointed north of Cherrygrove. “He kept muttering to himself, and he was all... I don't know, I think he just wanted to talk to her, but from what little I saw, he was trying to catch her, so she ran off and—Mewtwo?” She paused in her hurried explanation to see the clone swiftly disappear into the trees.

It was never a good thing to have a sibling report unusual behavior. It would have been one thing had Suicune said out of the blue Entei or Raikou ran off, maybe even Moltres saying the same thing about Zapdos. To have a well-composed Pokémon like Latios just turn tail like that was a bad sign. And as he was following Mew, no doubt there was something going on. His heart skipped when he heard her yell in fright to the side, and he cut through to a shocking sight.

There was no way to tell how long he had been pursuing her. The trees were damaged, many with bark or branches torn off. One had a hole blown through the trunk, and there were scattered boulder chunks, the cause being their struggle. He arrived in time to watch Latios shove Mew into a tree as she fought back, clawing and kicking to throw him off.

“Latios, what's gotten into you?!” she shouted the moment she freed herself.

A chilling, sinister chuckle escaped from Latios as he turned to grin maniacally at her. “Why, nothing is wrong with me, my dear,” he purred. “I am only partaking in my duty.”

“What duty?” she hissed, slowly backing away. Mewtwo could tell from where he hid she was visibly trembling. “We all have a duty here. What, just because you say yours is the most 'important' gives you permission to go ahead and do it?”

“And should I not? If you have a dream, you go for it.”

“But what does this have to do with anything?!”

“I am preserving the species.”

Her back hit a tree and she swung around behind when he swiped for her. “And you think by raping me you'll preserve it?”

“It is not rape, you are just playing hard to get,” he feigned a complaint.

“Latios, I know you better than that! I mean... you have a sister!”

Latios raised a brow. “Your point is?”

Mew clenched her teeth. “Why are you acting this way?” she bitterly whispered. She quickly dodged another jump for her. “Don't make me hurt you, Latios!”

Laughing, the dragon just spread out his arms in welcome. “Go ahead, it will make it easier on the both of us.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

He tilted his head in her direction, the grin splitting his face. “One must use extreme measures to get what they want.” In a flash, he disappeared. She gave a gasp, barely feeling the breeze behind her before she was slammed hard into a nearby tree, crushed between bough and body. A cry was let out until a hand silenced her, and her chin tipped up when the other brushed the claws down her throat and collarbone, throwing her into shudders and a pitiful whine. He then leaned forward, and darkly jested into her ear, “The difficult, the better.”

Something inside of Mewtwo snapped when he had her pinned. He couldn't figure out what the motivation was, nor the emotion that was there. Barely was he able to contain himself when he sprinted forward, snatched Latios by the neck, and ripped him off her to shove him against another tree.

The Eon Legendary at the same time gave a shout of pain, raising a hand for his head and staring wide-eyed at his attacker. “Mewtwo! What are you doing? Where's the campsite?”

“Mewtwo, what is wrong with you?!” Mew shrieked from behind, rushing up to pry him away.

Enraged, he spun around and seized her by the shoulders before she touched him. “Why did you not fight him off?!” he hollered, shaking her. “You realize what he could have done?!”

Having been caught off-guard, she temporarily lost her words, dreadfully gaping at his darkened face. She spotted the familiar azure flash in his hard eyes, pulsing dangerously in time with his rapid breathing. Her only involuntary movement was a vigorous shake of the head, meaning one thing, but mistaken for another.

Mewtwo resumed his outcry. “He could have raped you, Mew! Why would you allow him to do that?!”

“H-How was I supposed to know he'd follow me?!” the tiny feline wailed, struggling in his possessive hold. “But I swear, Mewtwo, he wasn't himself!”

“Why, of course, Mew, how observant of you!” he jeered, his grip tightening, causing her to painfully gasp. “All hormonally-stricken males become aroused at the mere sight of a pretty young female and seek out pleasure with her. And a pretty female plus an empty clearing equals a moment of intimacy. They are all the same, are they not?!”

“It takes one to know one!”

He barked a laugh. “Oh, how clever of you! He was set on murdering you if he had the chance!”

“So were you! Mewtwo, ever since we had that one moment together, you've become different!”

“You need to be more specific, Mew, we have had more than one intimate moment together,” he encouraged in agitation, pressing his fingers into her arms at the word.

She shivered under the touch and sharp gaze. “Our first kiss started this mess! At least I did—yes, Mewtwo, I'm admitting I screwed up, I admit to everything! A woman needs to be honest to everyone including herself, and since I was the cause of it all, I'll be the one to end it.” Mew solemnly hung her head, arms trembling when his hands loosened. Her voice then lowered with a sigh. “You didn't mean it, Mewtwo... I believe you. I believe all of it.” Slowly, a paw reached up to touch her throat, inhaling deeply. “I wish I could... believe myself.” Then her eyes locked onto his, watching the light inside return.

The two stared at each other as the tension dropped, the witness of Latios all but forgotten from their minds. Mewtwo dropped his hold on her, his frown deepening as he raised a lone hand to lay upon her cheek. She quivered at the sensitive contact, averting her gaze as a slight blush warmed under his fingertips, taking sudden, uneven breaths. Then she backed away.

“I need to be alone. Please don't follow me. I-I don't know when I'll be back.” She forcibly swallowed any reasons for her demand. Turning her back to him, Mew brought herself to whisper, “You tell Ho-oh he had every right to hear it. He needed to know.”

He barely nodded before she headed off further into the wood. Somehow, he figured he would be stunned she had heard his heart-wrenching confession, but he strangely found comfort in it. Her reaction was different from what he imagined, almost a polar opposite. She had accepted it so easily, he couldn't help wondering if it was bothering her a little, like something was holding her back.

Mewtwo flinched when a small headache stung through, and he turned to Latios, who had remained patiently silent the entire time. He cringed at the bloody welt developing on his forehead, surprised he had gone that far. Pointing for the campsite, he said in an apologetic tone, “Let us get that taken care of before your sister sees you like this.”

Without another word, they left after the Eon dragon patted him on the back in forgiveness.

*~*~*

Why did you not spill out everything, hmm? Balance him out.

I couldn't.

Was it because Latios was there? If you were alone with him like last week, then would you have told him?

Latios has nothing to do with this.

Answer me!

“What do you want from me?” Mew whimpered out loud, clutching her head as she unconsciously traveled through the forest.

The truth.

“Mewtwo doesn't need to know.”

Liar. You forget I know everything about you.

“Then you tell me the truth!” she hissed.

Why should I? There was a malicious smile portrayed in the genderless voice. If I said you were insane, you would not believe me.

Her small body shuddered as she spun around, searching for the source. For the past week, she had tried to keep the disembodied voice at bay until she made the mistake of addressing to it when it disturbed her dreams. It accompanied her since, and it had taken all her willpower to keep from physically talking to it, and even more energy to continue looking normal. Mew couldn't remember when she last slept—well she did, her body had just never felt like it was getting rest during this torment.

“Who are you?” she murmured. “You're not... me, a-are you?”

Oh no, you are not this cruel, it drawled on as though it was enjoying harassing her.

She felt sick. “Why are you here?”

Same reason you are.

“You're not haunting me, are you?”

Such a mortal term. But you could say that.

A frightened intake of breath caused her to collapse against a tree, clutching herself and struggling to hold back sobs. An icy wave attacked her on both sides as her chest ached hollowly. Her fur stood on end upon realizing it felt like something reached in to stroke her heart. Almost immediately, a mental image of Mewtwo with his hand caressing her breast as he breathed over her neck burst in on its own, which in turn started to numb her.

She shook her head strenuously in unbelief, knowing she didn't envision it. “This has nothing to do with Mewtwo!” she gasped out, staring wide-eyed above her.

So why bring him up? the voice chuckled.

“I didn't, something's putting these images in my head!” The more she shivered, the more passionate and realistic the touches felt against her skin. A moan escaped her lips, head thrown back as his fingers massaged sensitive flesh.

You do not remember conjuring these up in your dreams? At what you imagined would have happened had you two stayed?

How could she forget? A pitiful, muffled cry escaped her lips when the dream Mewtwo pressed a deep kiss against her mouth, feeling the skim of his tongue slipping in. She twitched against the tree trunk, begging for an end.

You never stayed asleep long enough to see the end, the whispered taunt continued as mouthed through him, hot breath causing her to shiver in arousal, and you refused to since. But now that you are alone, would you like to resume where you left off?

The farthest she had gotten before she resisted sleep... his lips had been massaging her body while he slowly guided her to the ground below him. He had fondled her tail tantalizingly, causing her to moan and plead for more. And then, his hand moved upward...

Her eyes widened and her breath quickened. “I can't!” she exclaimed, finally tearing herself away and speeding down a random direction hoping to leave them behind.

Mew had that unmistakable sense she was being hunted down, she could feel the spindly fingers stretching to snatch her. They followed her every move, easily slipping through trees, bushes, abandoned tunnels and solid rock, inching ever closer. Her mind screamed for peace when her voice refused to, body tiring from being beaten around by vain escape routes and hunger. She started slowing down, ready to admit submission and capture.

Then it abruptly paused its chase, lifting away from her.

She flew on several more feet before coming to a complete stop, crashing to the ground hard. Choking on her sobs and dust with tears stinging her eyes, Mew shakily crawled into the safety of a brown hedge, painfully heaving breaths. She lay there for rest (or death, whichever came first), adrenaline continuing to throb throughout her veins in an agonizing manner. Then as quickly as it came, she suddenly perked up and wriggled out of the brush, staring at the ivy-coated crumbling building appearing before her. Her jaw unhinged, eyes scanning about the occupied space. It wasn't the only artifact of ruin still standing, there was another identical one further away. The graying yellow of the bricks gave it a bland appearance, though the eerie, mysterious atmosphere about it made it more interesting and intriguing. And for some odd reason, she felt like it was calling her.

Slowly, but hesitantly, she lifted herself up and approached the front building, delicately placing a hand on the wall. It was gritty from age, yet still sturdy. Whatever architect designed it must have been a genius to find a way to keep their foundation strong, even in powerful earthquakes. With the palm still pressed on the rough surface, she allowed her fingers to skim along when she floated down to the end. Looking around the corner, she gasped lightly at the entrance. The sunlight peeking through the clouds was bright, richly enhancing the shadows that spilled inside. More ivy vines tangled around and hung down from their stations, purple buds developing on the entranceway. She inched for the mouth of the building only to feel a strong pull emerge from her the moment she stood beneath the arch. Breath caught in her throat, her eyes widened at the long hallway stretching to a grayed end.

Mew tried to back away, but whatever invisible force was drawing her in had already ensnared her. She locked into her teleportation only to receive a sharp headache from it. Having no choice, she stepped inside. The slow descent into the ruin was tolerable only because of the curious hieroglyphics carved into the walls—shaped like tablets, she noted—almost like they were guiding her through with their patterns. Though oddly enough, they looked like alphabets with eyes watching her every move—

She gasped and pulled away her hand before she could touch it. “Ruins of Alph,” she fearfully whispered, glancing around nervously like there was a curse somewhere in the tunnel. “My God... how is this still standing?”

Then again, how was it all the ruins consecrated to the Unown were able to survive this long, to avoid being torn down for human development? Mew couldn't blame them if they had just bulldozed through the sacred lands, these were rather unnerving sites, though it most likely had been fabricated to scare people. There had been reports and rumors about ruins containing these ancient writings being bewitched or haunted, however, none of them proved to be true. While the occasional person did find themselves lost in the labyrinths of these unique chambers, they all had been led to an exit by unknown sources, a few even claiming Pokémon much like the writing helped them out. So scientists and archaeologists had flocked to these ruins for fervent studies and hopes to catch a glimpse of an Unown, and channelers and so-called psychics were called in to communicate with them or open a pathway to where they reside. In time, public demand allowed them to become national parks, and it raked the tourists in. A few greedy people had attempted to make a business out of it, they just somehow all failed to in various unexplained ways (though there was a report one tycoon went insane because of “one-eyed devils”). As much as they liked the behind-the-scenes attention, the Unown would sometimes grow bored of scaring and chasing them away, so they would hide away and come back out after every few decades or so.

Then, one day, they mysteriously vanished. Palkia had brought it up the moment he noticed an unbalance in space; slight, but miraculously still harmless. He visited their home dimension only to find it became nonexistent. A guess was they moved to another dimension or created a new room, but it continued to remain a mystery until their ruins slowly began to deteriorate and fall to dust. One by one, they all became nothing more than a myth, lost with the older, dying generation. The Unown were no more.

Yet somehow, the famous Ruins of Alph proved itself to be resilient to their absence and even eluded human activity. Mew couldn't see how something this large could have gone unnoticed. She knew that once a ruin was excavated, it was doomed to inevitable destruction. So it was virtually impossible for a decimated artifact such as this to remain standing even through the end of the world. Unless...

She had seen the Unown once in her whole life, but they were mysteriously incredible. Alone, a Magikarp could easily turn out victorious. Together, they had a form of ancient power that was stronger than her or any of the other Legendaries. It was believed amongst themselves they were the ones keeping the world in order inside their own dimension. Could it be possible they were still around, taking refuge and hiding away the last of the ruins? The latter thought made her uneasy as she turned and flew for the exit.

An invisible power surge from deep in the heart of the ruins constricted her before she could escape, then proceeded to pull her further inside. Mew struggled to free herself, feeling as though her life was squeezing out of her the more she fought. “No, no! What do you want from me?!” she screamed into the tunnel, half-expecting to get an answer.

Her breath then choked in her lungs, sending her body into icy shock and losing control of her well-being. As she began to sink to the floor, she was wrenched further into the dark ruins. How far along she couldn't tell, her involuntary asphyxiation drawing her closer to unconsciousness. It was a blessed relief when she was thrown into the tiled floor, the pressure on her chest lifting. She lay there gulping down trembling breaths, hardly aware of the throbbing pain to her head. Slowly, her strength recovered enough to allow her movement without the dizzying effect. Mew cast her eyes about the room she found herself in, jaw dropping.

There was little sunlight spilling into the vastness through crevices in the ceiling, but whatever it illuminated brought a quaint amount of color to the room. The inside did not match the outside walls when it came to age and hue, if at all. Everything looked like no one had stepped foot here in many years, but it did it too well, like it had time to renovate itself. From what she could see beneath the ivy, the walls were a golden orange, every square inch covered in Unown hieroglyphics. Stone statues of Pokémon from ancient times were pushed up available wall, their petrified gazes pointed upward. She brought herself to levitate around to look at them, marveling at the perfect detail and at how there were no cracks or specks of dust on them. In fact, she questioned if they were really sculptures, they looked like they had once been actual living creatures, the poses were so life-like.

As she traveled further into the empty room, the more she noticed it was a simple zigzag labyrinth—if it could still even be called that. Rounding a corner, she found herself in another room. And inside, the statues had become more majestic. Mew held back a gasp, staring at statues of the Hoenn Legendaries. They held reverent poses (even that of Kyogre in mid-jump), all still looking up toward heaven like the lower prehistoric class. The detail was exceedingly fine, like the sculptors took their time to carve out every single scale on Rayquaza and Groudon, every dent and space between rock limbs for Regirock, the perfect smoothness of Jirachi. What surprised her the most was a single pedestal at a corner that held the four forms of Deoxys. Even more-so, it looked as old as its surrounding sculptures.

She shivered, hurrying into the other room where the Sinnoh Legends awaited her there. Brow furrowing, she peeked back at the statue. “It must have been added on some time ago,” she tried to convince herself. “The humans were always trying to appeal to the younger generation.”

Mew sighed softly, then turned back to the other carved images. They were all there, set up against a wall or in the middle. It didn't take much scanning to know every single one was made to direct their frozen gazes to the skies. Even the Arceus statue with one front leg up had its eyes upward, to show even the Legend it impersonated wasn't above the others. After finding there wasn't another entrance, she left, quickly finding herself into the prehistoric room. There was a strange atmosphere in the ruins that was leaving her shaken up since she saw the Deoxys statue. She desperately wanted to leave, to return to camp. Taking deep breaths, she flew for the exit.

Instead, it was the entranceway to another room filled with more statues of the Legends. Gasping, she backed up, looking around frantically for another opening. The rays of light were still bright and numerous enough she found no other rooms except for those she had already visited. Whimpering fearfully, she hesitantly inched into the hall of the Johto Legends. It had to be the oldest room, covered in thick layers of vine and filled with the most light. One beam in particular was bathing a Ho-oh statue in the golden rays, bringing out the realism in it. The one of Lugia was kept in darkness, the sight sending shivers down her spine. Mew noticed the Celebi statue looked to have been the cause of the thick growth, fitting as it was by the wall. The three Legendary Beasts were present in all their beauty, almost the opposite of what they were now. She began to sense a subtle pattern as she moved for the other room.

Not surprisingly, it held the Kanto Legends.

But Mewtwo was among them.

Something was wrong here. Deoxys she could understand, he had brought world-wide attention to himself that made scientists pursue him for studies. Suicune, Entei, and Raikou were part of Johto's history, even though they didn't come to being until after the Ruins were deserted, so it made sense they were added on. Mewtwo, on the other hand, was only known to a very select few, but they had all taken their knowledge of him to their graves. He may have accidentally made an urban legend in a city or two, but that was it. No one had gotten a good glimpse of him, so how was it a perfect sculpture of him was placed in a ruin? Maybe she was just imaging it. She had him on the brain for so long, she projected a stone image of him in the middle of the room, infinitely gazing into heaven like the others in all their godly forms.

Wait. There was one that stood out. Her eyes locked onto it, being irresistibly drawn to the oddity of it.

It was her—an ancestor, maybe, or some other Mew, she couldn't tell nor care less at the moment—the stone bust in a dark corner of the room. The detail was still there, the only difference was the head was limp, eyes facing the wall with a blank stare to them. She squinted, leaning forward for a better look. Unlike the other statues, there were no irises carved in, giving it a dead appearance. The pose was still life-like, no doubt the sculptor was talented like that, still, Mew wondered how intentional it was supposed to be. Why would every other sculpture (even that of Mewtwo's) look so hopeful, but this one so cast down? They were all formed to be like gods, yet this was as low as those of the prehistoric Pokémon? It wasn't implied to be her, so why would it appeal to her so well?

She happened to look at the wall the statue was focusing on and notice what looked to be a paragraph, the only writing on the entire wall. The language of ancients peered at her, as though asking her to read them; they knew she could. With the strangest feeling she was trapped here unless she read them, Mew didn't have a choice. She scanned through them, frowning the entire time. It was the most curious thing she had ever read, it wasn't clicking in. Slowly, she phrased it out-loud, fleshing out the words:

“Our words shall remain here for the ages, thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outside. They possess great insight and refuse the outside world. We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them. We depart for their sakes.”

At once, the hieroglyphics glowed a venomous green, and a stone tail tightly twined around her, cutting off any air for a scream. She barely caught a glimpse of the Mew statue glaring at her with glowing eyes before she was tossed down through a hole beneath her. The moment she hit the floor, it quickly closed shut, torches blazing to life. Biting down on her lip, the feline shakily lifted herself up, looking about the fire-lit room as she rubbed at her arms. The temperature was the first thing she noticed, a deathly chill was in the air (as was dust she determined when she sneezed). The entire area was enclosed in, though a dark hallway behind her suggested there was a way in and out. High above her was the ceiling, the outline she could barely point out in the darkness. On the walls were the tablet-bordered lettering with additional pictures she couldn't make sense of, but thought they were familiar-looking.

Mew froze in place when her eyes grew transfixed on the mural before her, a slow intake of breath finding itself into her lungs. She hadn't seen it in many years, the last one was destroyed along with her beloved home. They all had to be copies compared to it, this must be the original. It covered the majority of the far wall where the most light shone upon, and thus it was the most detailed. She approached it humbly, having found the source of the pull, the fulfillment of a destiny she herself must perform. When she was as near as she dared, she knelt down on a cold altar, her gaze never once leaving the picture.

It was of a great ancestor, the first known Mew that started it all. The people who once worshiped her species held a deep admiration for her, for without her, there couldn't be a broad variety of species. She was the Eve of all Pokémon, she was respected.

That could have been the reason the one tablet was taken away by the scientists when they had then journeyed into the Amazon. At least one of them had a degree in archeology and knew the importance of it, so they agreed to take it as inspiration, to remind them that she, a normal Mew entrusted with a daunting task, started it all. The Mother of all Pokémon.

But what about the Father of all Pokémon? Where was he? He arguably was, had been, or is in heaven, however, stories of him were twisted over time. She was never taught about him as a child, she had to glean it from passing and her own guesses. But as she knelt there, she had that feeling she knew where he was.

Who he was.

And who she was meant to be. What they were meant to be. It's in their DNA, they have that ability.

I'm not ready.

A hand strayed across the altar's surface and bumped up against a smooth, wooden object, fingers readily curling around it. She raised it to her line of vision, slightly wincing at the gleam the curved rusted steel gave off. Calmly, she glanced down upon where she rested, taking notice of the dried bloodstains spattered across the surface.

...even though it's my duty.

The paw holding the knife lightly placed it against her throat, almost on its own accord. You will not have to, came a gentle breezing whisper at her ear. You can end it. Someone else will take your place.

Her eyes closed shut as she swallowed. All the Legendaries came to mind, one individual at a time, watching her worriedly (even Deoxys looked concerned). Some shook their heads, others looked away. She recognized the images as memories, some from months back. Mew leaned away from the blade a little as she looked back up at the mural.

Who will take my place?

Any one of them can, they will move on without you. It inched back to the skin.

She repeated her action, though not without a struggle. They don't have the ability to alter genes like I do.

That is why they have Mewtwo.

Her breath caught as he appeared in her thoughts, the sight of sorrowful amethyst eyes warming her soul, wanting to comfort her... to love her. He had tried a few times, but they turned out for the worse. It wasn't his fault. As intelligent and powerful as he was, Mewtwo had no experience except from her. She was the one who reached out to him so many times, it was she who managed to open his heart to more emotions, more opportunities to belong to the world. While he didn't show it, he considered her a close friend. He could never really say no to her for very long. There was no doubt that if she had ever gotten into danger, he would be there to help.

Mew slowly lowered the knife, staring up at the ceiling. Could it be he was trying to return the favor, his way of showing his gratitude to her? Or... had he really fallen for her during that time? Was it possible that underneath all that irritation, he had silently looked forward to her visits? Was she the true source of his peace, the beat of his heart? When did he realize this? Why did she not see the signs?

“Mewtwo...” escaped her lips in a sad sigh, eyes gently closing. “...how long have you loved me?”

You do not need him, and he does not need you, hissed the voice as her hands began to twitch against the handle. End it! Slit your throat, pierce your breast, end it all!

She shook her head, her arms trembling. “No... I can't...”

He has never loved you, it is all pretend!

The memory of their first kiss flashed in her mind's eye. “He would never do that... he would not play with my heart like that.”

There is a difference between love and possession.

“He loves me!” she gasped out when an arm shot out, the other raising the knife. She fought to regain control of her body, the strain bringing hot tears to her eyes. “When he asked me about love, he wanted to know if he was capable of it!”

Wrong! To corrupt emotion, you must know of it first!

Mew's pulse quickened when the edge skimmed her wrist, and she wailed, “What's going on?!”

This is how much a broken heart bleeds!

She screamed out in heartfelt agony when the blade deeply sliced through, the dark liquid gushing onto the altar and floor. A fire seared throughout her arm, shivering in regret. She dropped the cursed weapon to apply pressure to the gash, only for her whole body to tremble in a cold wave of fear. The faster her heart pounded, the more blood poured out.

“What did you do to me!?” she shrilled out, doubling over in pain.

A chilling laugh sounded in the darkness, causing her to weep harder. What gives you the right to know? No matter, you belong to me now.

“I-I what?” she gulped out in a whimper, and she glanced up through her tears.

On the wall suspended a shadow that held no steady base, but had a hint of what looked to be a humanoid outline. The tendrils shaped to be arms stretched for her, curling around her limbs. When they made contact, she let out another scream, struggling to pry herself away. The freezing touch burned down to her soul, nearly stopping her heart. Another cruel cackle sounded as it dove into her chest, spreading the evil vibes throughout as it started to take over. Out of an impulse, Mew shot up from where she cowered, now having forgot her mortal wound, and clutched her head as she lurched and spasmed.

“No! NO! Get out of my body!” she cried out. “Release me, demon!”

Too little, too late, she realized in horror she had let her guard down too long over the previous week. The icy hands grabbed a strong hold of her spirit and forced it down an abyss to give the entity room to fill her body. The shock of losing control of her physical wellbeing left her fully paralyzed from the agonizing pain, feeling as though she was being ripped in two. With one last blood-curdling scream, Mew collapsed to the floor.

The room went silent for a long minute with exception of the occasional rasp from the feline. Then, slowly, she stirred and lifted the slashed arm to the light of the fire, eying the thick running streams of crimson. Gingerly, she leaned forward and savoringly lapped up the blood, flexing her fingers. A grin flashed across her face as her narrowed optics flared a deep blue.

From deep within her chest, a guttural, victorious laugh echoed throughout the sacrificial chamber.

Do take note that I have never seen a Ouija board in my life, nor do I plan to, not after the freaky stories I've heard. Some of you may have experimented with one. This is my intake on them, though I did take inspiration from a friend who once was around a Ouija board, and she said scary stuff happened. I'm not rewriting her experience, I'm just putting down my own intake for these guys. I had a good idea what Ouija boards did even when I read about them, but feel free to correct me where needed.

The two dragons angrily threw down their cards, glaring at Deoxys who sat there with a calm, smug smirk. “What the hell?! This is the third time you won!” Rayquaza roared. “You're cheating!”

“I don't see how you can cheat at Hearts.”

“But somehow you did! There's no way you can shoot the moon three in a row!”

Without warning, the cards caught fire and quickly burned to ashes. The males turned to face Moltres who stood there with wings on hips, Articuno at her side. “I can't believe you guys, arguing over a stupid card game when you're supposed to be working!” she harshly exclaimed, gesturing to the remains. “Just how low can you get?”

“Damn it, woman, that was our only deck!” the Air Titan growled in a threatening tone. “You owe us!”

She scoffed, snapping her head to the side. “I owe you? What makes you think I do?”

“Because you burned up our cards!”

“Well, we're still pissed about that 'whore' comment. We still haven't gotten an apology from you.”

“I keep telling you, I was poking fun of this poor bastard here, it had nothing to do with anyone!”

“I suppose that's what happens when you float around in trenches all your life.”

“Look who's talking, you spent your days in the mountains!”

“My reason's better than yours!”

He held up his wings to help back himself up. “You see these guns? Yeah, they don't look like much, but I can blow all your feathers and more away with one flap, honey. You'd be lucky to even be alive when I take wing all of a sudden.”

“Is that a threat?”

Deoxys let out a laugh, elbowing Darkrai in the ribs. “Oh, and you think I'm an attention-seeker!” he guffawed, shaking his head.

“That's because you are,” he frankly stated before looking back to the forest.

“Am not!” He immediately followed the phantom's gaze, tilting his head a few different angles and scowling. “Okay, what are you looking at? I mean, really, I'm seeing nothing.”

Deoxys lost it and collapsed to the ground, clutching his sides. Darkrai bit his tongue to keep from barking out something he would regret later on. Instead, he got up and floated away, heading further for the shadows close to the wood. After a quick glance to see if anyone followed suit or noticed his sudden absence, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Please tell me you can sense it, Giratina,” he muttered. “I don't want to say anything without some backup.”

The Renegade Legendary only remained silent, eyes concentrated further beyond the trees. He had hardly spoken a word at all that day, not since he noticed something was terribly wrong that morning. There had been an unknown presence lurking around the campsite that was keeping the spirits away from the area, but while he couldn't see it, it was unable to hide away the negative vibes it was letting off. It was up to something sinister, and he hoped to find it for eradication. Unfortunately (or maybe it was fortunate of them), he lost track of it just before Latias had made it known Latios had been acting strangely. Giratina had seen Mewtwo hurry off into the forest, and he had remained vigilant at the edge for their return. The two males eventually did—he had caught a glimpse of what looked to be a goose egg on the Eon Legendary's head—then it was noted Mew wasn't anywhere to be found. The clone had reported she needed to be left alone for a while, which only convinced him further something wasn't right. He had chosen to keep an eye out for her, counting down the minutes.

With the exception of the occasional yell at the campsite, everything had been quiet.

Even the spirits.

Having not received a response after a minute, the phantom sighed again. “What do they know that we don't? They know we can see them—somewhat. Why haven't they said anything?”

The ghostly dragon slightly shifted weight before quietly stating, “Mostly because they were selfish bastards in their mortal life. They may be jealous we're still alive, or both.” A soft snort from deep within his throat sounded. “You've noticed that the only spirits still here are the ignorant and self-absorbed, right? All the good ones are long gone.”

“Yeah... but are there others?”

Giratina raised a brow, glancing over. “Other what?”

“You know... other spirits?”

A wing twitched, and he inwardly trembled when a chill went up his spine. “I'm afraid so... they've been waiting, actually.”

“For what, do you know?” Darkrai was afraid of the answer he was going to get. He hadn't felt their presences for so long, it was a wonder none of them had been a victim the whole time they lived there.

“An opportunity.”

“What kind?”

A harsh breath blew from his snout as he turned to the cloaked specter. “They're not picky, you know that.”

He shrugged, but gestured behind him. Giratina raised an eye-ridge before taking a look, spotting the group of conversing (and arguing) Legendaries. At first, he saw nothing wrong and was going to choose to ignore him the rest of the day for wasting his time, until he looked again. He frowned, then counted once, twice. There were a few unaccounted for: Celebi because it was his turn with Cresselia to go across the world, Mew was on her walk, and Mewtwo...

...he was there, just further away, not talking and staring out at the trees.

“Have you noticed he's changed?”

Whoever hadn't obviously never knew him, he was quick to thoughtfully note. “To be honest, I prefer his moody, broody self,” he grunted out with a smirk.

“What? No, I'm not talking about that. Sorta...” Darkrai scratched the back of his head. “He seemed a bit anxious this morning.”

“About what, you reckon?”

“I dunno. I figured he could feel the change in atmosphere like we have. Did I ever mention Mew said she can see them?”

The dragon scowled. “Did I ever mention this whole time she's been gone a while?”

“No, but I already knew that.”

“Then that's my answer.”

Glad his collar concealed his lower face, he allowed a sheepish grin to spread. Oh yeah, he can sense stuff like that. “Well, uh... what do you think is taking her so long?”

Intentional or not, Giratina huffed out a disgruntled sigh. “You want to know? Whether you felt it or not, there was something here not long ago.”

“What kind of something?”

His eye glinted when it slid its vision back to the trees. “Something evil.” The word sent a chill up Darkrai's spine. “I tried to pinpoint its location, but I lost track of it. It was around the time Latias said her brother was acting strange.”

The Pitch-Black Legendary laid a clawed hand against his cheek in a thoughtful manner. “I found that suspicious he would follow Mew. I saw what had happened, she came back to the site just to have him start harassing her for no apparent reason. I don't know why you didn't stick around long enough to see it, it was so... out-of-line for Latios to do that. Then she left, and I went about my morning business. I ran into Mewtwo, but never told him about it, I had gotten so engrossed in wondering why he looked so worried. At least Latias told him, but who knows what happened. They won't talk about it.”

Taking another look behind them, Giratina furrowed his brows upon seeing the Eon dragon laugh, his arm around his sister's shoulders. “Hmm... that is so unlike Latios to go after Mew...” He fell silent for a few moments, deciphering information in his head. With a stern “Wait here”, he slipped away through the shadows toward the feline's direction.

Amused, the phantom watched as the renegade got close enough to Mewtwo he melted into his shadow. After a few moments passed, black tendrils snatched his legs, forcing him (but not without a fight) to stride precariously into the trees. Letting out a quiet chuckle, he followed, arriving in time to see Giratina materialize from the ground and glare down at the clone.

“What the hell did you do that for, Giratina?!” he snapped, returning the leer.

“Interrogation.” It was so straight-to-the-point and blandly said, Darkrai clung to a tree to keep from barreling over.

Disregarding the laugh, Mewtwo crossed his arms. “You could have asked. I would have gladly gone with you instead of making me look like a jackass in front of the others.”

“They weren't paying attention. And besides, if what Lugia said was true, it wouldn't have been the first time.” After seeing the warning flash, he immediately expressed, “We're questioning you on what happened to Latios.”

He didn't even blink. “Is that it?”

Giratina's wings twitched in a shrugging motion. “What's with the look? Did I miss something?”

“No one else has confronted us on it.”

“Well, we are now, and we want the truth.”

“Not that we won't be able to tell if you aren't,” Darkrai added. He flinched when he saw what looked to be a movement that hinted he was going to be smacked.

Raising his brows and inhaling deeply, Mewtwo replied smoothly, “Latios was attacking Mew, so I intervened.”

“Why was he attacking her?”

“From what I had heard, he claimed he was fulfilling his duty of repopulating the earth.” The two Legendaries glanced over at each other in disarray. “Mew, of course, did not want a part in it, but he was persistent. She did not want to hurt him, so it was basically a cat-mouse chase.”

“Since when did Latios get it into his head he was meant to procreate, and with Mew, no doubt?” Giratina mused, frowning deeply.

“Uh... because Arceus said so?” Darkrai manifested. “Besides, Ho-oh said himself that until the planet is positively sure to heal, there isn't a need to reproduce at the moment. What makes this odd is that Latios is more of a brotherly type. He's the last person to do this sort of thing.”

Mewtwo solemnly nodded. “However, according to Mew, Latios was not himself at the time.” Much to the surprise of the two, his eyes softened and he hung his head. “I did not notice for whatever reason, I just stepped in without thinking. But I am sure that had I taken the time to...” He swiftly shook his head when the image of Mew crushed against the tree came to mind, ignoring the slight shiver running through his spine. “He was latching onto her when I snapped. He did not look like he was going to give her up without a fight, so why I easily pulled him off escapes me.”

Slowly, they both gave a motion of understanding. “You must have been enraged to cause him to get that nasty bump on his head,” the phantom said quietly.

“I was... I am surprised he did not get a skull fracture from it, or even a hemorrhage...” His grimace darkened. “I wonder if he was under some form of trance at the time.”

“A trance? What makes you say that?”

“The moment I hit him, he immediately began questioning where he was, and what was going on.” Mewtwo closed his eyes with a slow sigh. “I would have killed him had Mew not stopped me.”

Giratina then leaned forward. “Since we're on the subject, did she say where she was going?”

“GET THAT THING AWAY FROM HERE!”

The abrupt yell made the three jump and look at each other in concern. It was never a good sign when someone, particularly Ho-oh, yelled for the removal of anything. As they momentarily hurried out into the clearing, they saw nearly everyone had distanced themselves from Deoxys, who was standing in the middle carrying what looked to be a game board in his hands. From the way all eyes were gawking at it and a few shivered in place, it was not a good sign.

“What's going on?” the renegade demanded.

“I just found something in town and thought it'd be fun,” the alien scoffed. “But everyone's freaking out over it.”

Deoxys took a quick, perplexed glance at it, skimming the fancy font of the lettering and stenciled art that reminded him of tarot cards. “Uh... how?”

“Don't you know what a ouija board is?!”

“Oh, is that what this is?”

“It says it right there!” Rayquaza growled. “God, are you so stupid, you're illiterate too?”

“No! I just can't read human language. Can you?”

The Air Titan “tch”ed. “Of course not, but everyone knows the name is on the board.”

“Who cares, just get rid of it, Deoxys!”

With a huff, he released his hold on the board to fold his arms. Shocked murmurs and more cringes intensified at the sight of the levitating items; Mesprit let out a frightened cry before she fell into Azelf's hold. “Oh, what's wrong with you people, I'm just using my almighty telekinesis.” He glanced down at the wooden heart-shaped coaster with a magnifying glass in the middle. “You know, they use these to communicate with the dead.”

Ignoring his sarcasm, Deoxys gently laid it in the middle, “hmm”ing in thought. “If I remember correctly, when humans did it, they placed their hands on it and asked a question—hey, where are you going?” he called out to a few fleeing Legendaries.

“Far away!” answered back Zapdos, waving a wing.

“Whatever. I need a second person in order to make this work.” The responses ranged from commanding him to throw it away to obscenities. He easily shrugged them off. “You're all a bunch of wimps. You just don't want to have fun.”

“Deoxys, there is nothing fun about a ouija board,” Ho-oh coolly expressed. “There are stories of people experiencing terrifying paranormal activity that only results in frightening or injuring the other spectators. It invites unwanted spirits in their vain attempt to 'communicate' with us, to give us false answers.”

He waved a hand with a “pfft”. “You're no fun. Besides, I was only going to ask a question or two, no biggie. What's the worst that could happen? Don't answer that.” Cracking his knuckles, he laid his hands on the coaster, ignoring a tingling sensation that immediately shot through his arms. “All right, board, I want a perfectly logical answer from you. We'll start off simple. First off, what am I thinking of right now?”

“God, Deoxys, did you have to ask that?” Suicune snorted, cautiously backing away some more. Her brothers remained in place, stupidly fascinated.

He shushed her, gaze remaining on the board as he waited, concentration etched on his face. Half a minute passed without any activity, which brought a few skeptical Legendaries to lightly laugh it off and lessen the tension. Ho-oh sucked it up to step forward calmly as he could, brows raising. “Well, Deoxys, thanks to your example, I'm torn between saying the spirits aren't responding and that we have nothing to fear because it's a hoax.”

“Oh, did you volunteer to be the second person?” he piped up with a smile. “It won't work with just one person.”

“Give me the damn board,” the phoenix demanded snappily with a scowl. Letting out a scoff, he psychically swerved it before him. Ho-oh went to tug the board out from his hold. “Let go of it, Deoxys.”

With wide eyes, the alien flailed around to remove his hands from the coaster. He went as far as to comically lift a leg to shove it away. “Um... I don't think it's letting me.” Immediately, the Sky Guardian drew his wings away like it burned him, stumbling back. “Hey, what's with you?”

Rayquaza huffed and positioned himself to smack the alien. He raised his arms to defend himself, bringing up the coaster and board with him. “I think he super-glued himself to it,” he grumbled, dropping his tail. “Nice try, Dorkxys, you didn't have us fooled with that trick.”

Uxie pulled away from his siblings to take a closer look. He started to shiver the moment he was near it. “Darkrai, Giratina, are there any spirits nearby?” When they didn't answer, he glanced up to see them nodding, staring wide-eyed at the ouija board. The pixie felt sick inside and distanced himself from the Legendary. “It can't be... is it possible there are spirits wanting to contact us?”

“Deoxys, damn it, we told you to get rid of it!” Groudon growled, inching further away. “I've always known you were a catalyst for disaster!”

“How was I supposed to know my hands would stick like this?!” he cried out defensively. “Screw it, someone cut off my arms!”

No one said a word for a few moments as they stared horrifically at the stiffened hands. Mewtwo cast his vision about the group before he took a breath and went forward, paws lighting up in blue flames. “I suppose I will. It is not entirely a 'pay back', just letting you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I don't care about that, just cut them off!”

Shrugging and giving an apologetic glance, the psycat raised his arms and swiped them down. From the flames came a single, curved blade that automatically sliced through the limbs with ease. The alien barely held back a cry of pain as he stumbled away from the dropped ouija, limbs shaking. The severed hands remained glued to the coaster, grayed blood pooling beneath it. (A thump sounded in the background from where Latias fainted.)

Slightly disturbed, Mewtwo averted his eyes to the now-satisfied Deoxys. He concernedly glimpsed at the bleeding stumps. “You can still regenerate, right?”

“Oh yeah, this is nothing,” he grinned, slowly rising to his feet. “The other day Giratina got pissed at me, so he poked an eye out. I got it back after a few hours.”

“Liar, I did nothing to you this whole week,” the spectral dragon sneered.

He surprisingly shrugged in agreement. “Okay, well, it happened so fast, I assumed it was him.”

Raising a brow, the feline questioned further, “Why did it take you that long?”

“I dunno. S'pose it's because I'm mortal now, so it takes lo—” He paused in mid-sentence when a scream came from Moltres. He glanced in horror at the amputated hands to see viscous tentacles crawling out of them. They rose and bolted, stretching great lengths to attach to the stumps of his arms. He let out a shout as they reeled themselves in to an appropriate length and thickened into skin. He sprouted out a hiss of curses falling back to his knees, trembling from the pain as he tried to regain control. “Oh, God, why is it so painful?!”

“...I have one... but i-it's different from yours. At least... it should be...” Deoxys gasped out when he flinched. The limbs had finished taking form, though judging from his cringing, the regeneration wasn't finished yet.

Mewtwo quaked the entire time, sensing a dark presence enveloping them, the strongest point being where he stood. For the first in a long time—if not ever—he was terrified. He didn't know what it was. All he knew was it was an individual evil being, it put his late-arch-nemesis to shame, and he had been the most wicked man he had known at the time. Standing there long as he did, he felt the fear from the others, though not like how Deoxys was feeling. He was suffering a mortal pain he himself had a taste of centuries ago. Will manipulation was one thing when it was through machinery, unseen entities were another, if it was trying to possess him. Darting his vision down to the board still glued to the alien's hands, he quickly knelt down and pressed his own to the coaster.

Gasps were heard throughout the crowd, but not as noticeable as Deoxys'. “Y-You insane, Mewtwo?!” he choked out, heaving breaths.

He briefly met his tearful stare. “It must be that desperate to talk to us if it is keeping you from walking away,” he coolly answered. “We have no other choice.”

Beneath their hands, they felt the coaster quiver and slide across the board. Taking a look, Mewtwo just caught the letter “H” before it moved to the “U”. The two had a hard time keeping up with it, and Deoxys ended up whimpering out, “What's going on? Mewtwo, you can read human language. What's it saying?”

Once it came to a halt, he muttered, “'Hurts'.”

“Sorry, Mewtwo, I don't have control over it.”

“No, that is what it spells.” His gaze lifted to Ho-oh. “Deoxys had asked a question about what was on his mind, correct?” The phoenix slowly nodded, unable to rip himself away from where he stood.

“Okay, yeah, it hurts now, but when I asked, I was thinking about getting one of you guys to join me.”

“Who cares, you just proved to us this game's messed up!” Rayquaza snarled, backing away for the wood. “I'm leaving before it gets even more screwed up.” Nodding roughly, he shot off over the treetops. A few others immediately followed.

Mewtwo closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. “Let us get this over with quickly as possible,” he whispered. Then out loud, he inquired, “What do you want with us?”

With bated breath, the rest of the group watched at the two were jerked around on the board, fighting for stability. It ended abruptly, and he translated, “'Nothing'.”

“Bloody hell, is it messing with our minds?!” the alien swore. The coaster swerved to the “no” on one side of the board. “The hell?!”

“It's not,” Darkrai said, shaking his head. “It's a something, but it doesn't seem to have a physical form to be able to even move it. It can only control animate objects, that being Mewtwo and Deoxys. Their hands, anyway.”

“Well, what does it want?”

Almost immediately, a new word was being spelled as “talk”, to which the feline announced. “About what?” Giratina grumbled, strangely planted in place.

Deoxys barked more swears and complaints trying to keep up with the sporadic coaster. Mewtwo remained silent, tensing up when it paused on the “W”. After an uncomfortable moment, it continued its whiplash reaction for a few seconds more. Once it was confirmed it answered, he scowled and questioned, “What about me?”

It slid back-and-forth once more, during which those who heard his remark began murmuring to themselves. Ho-oh, horrified and mesmerized, felt his breath catch as he mentally cursed himself for not burning the board first chance he got, and for knowing the language. Many thoughts ran through his head about what the ouija would spell out. He knew not what a spirit was truly capable of, if predicting the future and revealing the true self of a living person didn't count. All he knew was that he didn't trust it. He saw what happened, it was going to talk about Mew before suddenly changing its mind. No good would come out of it.

Whether predictable or not, both he and Mewtwo silently strung the letters together: “You and her.”

“Damn it, I wish I had taken the time to learn the stupid language,” the alien grumbled, strangely beginning to feel left out. “Come on, Mewtwo, let me ask a question.”

The coaster went to “no” in a flash. Mewtwo, in the meantime, was hardly aware of it and the growing protests as he continued to make contact. “Do not dare bring her into this. Just tell us what needs to be said and release us.” Like it had ignored him, the wooden heart spelled out “Mew” once more, angering him further to the point his arms shook. “I do not want her involved!”

Darkrai stepped in. “Then let's try again. I'll do it.” He reached down to pick up the ouija board.

Azelf's eyes widened when a pricking thought suddenly materialized, and he pulled himself away from his sister to hurry over. “Don't touch it!” he yelled.

The cloaked phantom had grabbed it anyway, and a strong icy current flowed into his arms felt by Mewtwo and Deoxys. He let out a startled cry, then one of such agony that others shivered in terror. Those who were close stumbled away, unsure what to do for him. Like the two, Darkrai's hands were cemented onto the board, a fate that had ignored Ho-oh earlier. The coaster trembled for a moment beneath their palms, then ceased when the screams faded. With his head tilted back, his mouth was now easily shown as an eerie Cheshire grin.

A quiet, steadily-growing chuckle started deep in his sternum, projecting itself triumphantly. “Fools, you think you can get rid of me just by breaking such a worthless instrument?”

Voices were caught in throats, and hearts skipped beats. None of them could register the soft-spoken tone of Darkai's within the naturally gruff vocals. And when he opened his eyes, they froze from the look of dark malice in their depths, his pupils narrowed. He cackled, like he was pleased he struck them with fear.

Mewtwo felt an icy sting in his chest when they locked eyes. “At last, Mewtwo, you can now speak to me face-to-face.”

“What do you want?” he croaked out, forcing himself to breathe.

“I want many things, things that were denied to me thousands of years ago because of what I am.”

“And what are you?”

“The epiphany of man. Though ironically, we convinced man we do not exist.”

The clone furrowed his brows, not understanding what he was talking about. “Who are you referring to? Why are you here?”

“You ask too many questions that I am not interested in answering,” he plainly said with a scoff, flicking his head back. “Like it is said, 'All things will be revealed in due time.' Luckily for you, this time has just arrived. Any minute now, you shall be subjected to things beyond your control. It is too late to change Fate when it had already been destined before your birth.”

A deep frown creased his brows as did many other of the Legendaries. “What are you talking about, Darkrai?” Ho-oh spoke up in suspicion.

“Silence!” the ghoul snapped, his head swerving around a full one-eighty and eyes flashing.

The phoenix momentarily found his tongue bound, his vision blacked out, and hearing snuffed. Everyone else were too spooked by the sudden and nightmarish sight to notice his distress automatically. It was only when he began flailing around and bumping into Groudon they realized something was wrong.

“Hey, Ho-oh, you okay there?” Lugia worriedly asked. “What happened?”

Darkrai evilly laughed before twisting his head back in place. “He will return to normal when I am done here.”

“You monster, what have you done to him?!” Giratina roared. “What have you done with Darkrai?!”

He ignored him turning his attention to an enraged Mewtwo. “Your reaction is predictable, not many mortals handle the truth very well.”

“What do you want?!” he barked. “Tell us so you can release Darkrai and Ho-oh quickly!”

The jagged smile froze his insides by several degrees. “Everything that defines you, every single emotion and strength you possess, each breath you take are God-given rights all living beings are freely given. Every spirit is special in their own way. What makes yours so unique is the body it occupies, a body that goes against nature and everything sacred. God did not create your body, man did. As imperfect as you are, you have a purpose in this life, otherwise you would not be here.”

Deoxys felt energy gathering into the clone's hands, and he glanced down to see the ignition of aura around his wrists. “Mewtwo, don't listen to him. Darkrai would never say such a thing. Mewtwo, watch your temper,” he hissed out, tensing in anxiety as he tried to lean away.

He hardly heard him, too transfixed in the glare to care for anything else. Whoever or whatever it was that was inside Darkrai's body knew him frighteningly well. He began to fear the worst, but his yearning to know more got the better of him. “What is my purpose?” he inquired, the all-too-familiar words bitter in his mouth.

The smile grew smug. “You still have not figured it out? How typical. You have been denying it for so long, I find it surprising you have not gone completely insane from it.”

“Get to the point.”

“Why should I? You refuse to embrace it, so what gives you the right to know? But if you must insist, I will say this.” The eyes grew piercing, Darkrai's tongue flicking along his teeth. “It is what you hold dear, Mewtwo, the sole essence of your existence. Without it, you would have ceased to exist in your artificial womb long ago. But had you lived without it, you would be a whole different being today. You would have become just like us.”

In a flash of pink, the ouija board broke in pieces, cracking the coaster down the middle. The impact flung Mewtwo, Deoxys and Darkrai away, now liberated from hostage. Ho-oh was returned to normal in the blink of an eye, scaring himself silly until he remembered what happened. Then he and everyone else looked up when Cresselia paused before them, sneering at the remains as she dropped a small hoard of food where she levitated.

Turning to the alien, her gaze was of accusation. “What'd you do this time?”

“Oh, thank God you came, Cresselia!” he uncharacteristically sobbed, throwing himself around her neck. “I thought we were gonna die!”

She tossed him off. “Tell me without the drama, please.”

“Fine, I won't tell you,” he huffed, dusting himself off and popping his knuckles.

The swan rounded her attention to her counterpart, confused by his actions. He kept feeling his face and flailing his arms around, blinking wildly. When he finally acknowledged her, he tightly pulled her into a hug as he gratefully kissed her cheeks. “Oh, Cress, thank you, you arrived just in time!” he wailed. “I don't know how you did it, but you did it!”

Blushing a little, she pushed herself away. “Okay, someone tell me what's going on. All I can get from this is that there was something very wrong here, I could feel it out near the Violet City area.” Cresselia craned her neck when she noticed Mewtwo hadn't been responsive since she arrived. “Hey, you okay?”

He silently picked himself up, shaking his head the entire time. His body couldn't stop shaking, whether it was because of his building anger or the effect the entity left behind. Whatever it was, no matter what he was going to do, he felt he wouldn't be able to brush it off in a long time. It frightened him how it could see straight into his heart, knowing his every secret fear, secret desire, anything he may have buried long ago in his attempt to start anew. It even hinted at more hidden memories, sources, whatever it was he was not aware of. What bothered him the most, however, were its claims his life would have been extremely different had things in his past—or in events surrounding his birth—taken another path. In recent years, he had found himself barely able to recall the first minutes of his awakening, and he knew little to none at what had been occurring in the lab during his creation.

So what was it referring to?

A hand touched his shoulder lightly, startling him back to reality. Deoxys jumped back in alarm, almost regretting his action. Blinking once, he cast his eyes about the crowd, taking in their worrisome looks, the moon swan especially even though she most likely didn't hear a single word.

He folded his arms, frowning at them all as he fought back a shiver. “Why are you all so concerned about me?”

Like a wave, they all more-or-less shifted in place, unsure what to say about the situation. He couldn't blame them. To break the silence, he asked the first thought that came to his head. “Where is Celebi?”

Cresselia raised a puzzled brow, then remembered. “Oh, he needed to stop by the Ilex Forest for a little bit. Why, what's wrong?”

He briefly averted his gaze. “Nothing really... Did you also happen to see Mew on your way here?”

She shook her head. “Did she go somewhere?”

“Said she went to take a walk,” Latios recalled, a small frown on his features. “That was from this morning.”

Celebi paused in mid-flight to let out a sneeze. “Oh, great,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “Thanks, Groudon, you sure spread germs more effectively than the others.”

He could just imagine, if he was there, the gargantuan saying some smart-aleck comment while proclaiming it wasn't his fault. And it probably wasn't. There had been a few Legendaries catching colds the past month, though they all knew it was bound to happen. He had decided to let it drop now that he had his share of sickness. If he was getting sick, he and the others still weren't completely sure about flu symptoms. Once he steps foot in the campsite, he was going to rest and drink fluids, and he'd get better in a week. No big deal.

But were these chills a sign of the actual flu? Strange how he had suddenly developed them when he was nearing the remains of Violet City. Tempted to eat some berries he had found with Cresselia, he went around the area to scavenge for himself, only managing to find a few small ones. He wasn't one to complain as he slowly ate them, a berry was a berry. They weren't Miracle Berries, but they were at least something for his empty stomach. Still, they couldn't soothe the shivering, which, if he wasn't mistaken, seemed to be getting worse.

Suddenly getting the notion he wasn't alone, Celebi spun around, nearly dropping the food when he crossed visions with Mew. “Oh, Mew! Don't do that!” he sighed, massaging his temples. “Almost scared me to death. What are you doing out this far? Gathering food? Sight-seeing?”

No response came from her. He looked up, blinked a few times, then shrunk back a little as his eyes slowly widened. Her levitation was strangely tense, no part of her body was moving a twitch. She only stared darkly at him, a stare that drilled a deep hole in him with slitted pupils penetrating her blue irises. The moment he saw them, his chills consumed him completely.

“M-Mew...?” Celebi glanced down, spotting the sinister appearance of blood flowing down her arm. “Mew, what happened?!” he breathed, reaching for her hand.

She remained unresponsive as he held up her cool arm for a better look. The gash was still fresh and bleeding profusely, her entire forearm a ghostly white from loss of blood. Beneath his fingers, the pulse was faint. “My God, how did this happen?! How are you even standing?! Say something, Mew!”

Her hand then twitched as claws extracted. He barely released her when she swiped at his face, slashing a deep wound into his cheekbone. The Forest Guardian cried out in surprise, stumbling away and loosening his telepathic hold on his findings. Clutching the stinging area, he made the mistake to glance back up, just catching the glimpse of a menacing grin before her tail harshly smacked him head-on. The impact sent him crashing into a tree, embedding into the trunk. He pulled himself free just as she sent a strong psychic attack, blowing him further away. Beating his wings to keep him afloat, he shot a glare her way.

“Mew! What are you doing?!” he yelled, getting into a defensive pose. “I don't want to hurt you!”

A deep chuckle rumbled from inside her, her maniacal grin broadening. “That is what they all say,” Mew purred, rushing forward.

Celebi flitted to the side, spinning behind to hold her back. She immediately delivered a hard kick into his gut, then slashed the other side of his face. She shoved him to the base of a boulder, pinned him with her knees, and smashed his head against it. Black spots popped in his dizzying vision, just barely feeling the throbs of his flattened skull. She then thrust her fist beneath his ribs, causing him to cough hard enough to spew blood.

Barking out a cruel laugh, she stated in an odd matter-of-fact tone, “This is my first time inflicting physical pain. Not too different from my share of emotional scarring in the past, which I must say is better than scarring a mortal body.”

He flinched from the agonizing vibes, but went ahead to throw a punch at her face. She caught it easily, then delivered a blow squarely in the jaw, knocking loose a tooth. “But I suppose I can kill two birds with one stone. Some emotional scars do come from physical scars.”

A scream of fright sounded from the side, distracting Mew. Taking a breath, Celebi spat out a single seed pod that stuck onto her fur. Vines sprouted and sunk in her flesh as it tightly constricted, sapping her energy. She had little reaction to it, preferring to keep her eyes locked on the gathering Legendaries stopping in place to stare. Mesprit, who had let out the shriek, was pulled back by her siblings when she saw the injured pixie against the bloodied rock. Mewtwo found his way to the front, breath catching in his throat upon meeting eyes with her.

A fanged smirk slowly distributed itself, and she handily spun in tight circles to fling the vines off (taking care to smack the victim with her tail each time around). “Wonderful timing! I was debating whether to slowly torture him, or kill him on the spot.”

“Mew... wh-what is going on?” the clone sputtered out as he stepped forward, casting his eyes between the two of them. “Where have you been?”

A frown quickly creased her brows. “I nearly maul someone, and all you have to say is 'where have you been'?” She scoffed. “And after all that effort I put into it, too.”

He only shook his head. “Mew, what has gotten into you?”

“I should be the one to ask that question,” she snapped out, floating away from Celebi. Her head tilted in her clone's direction. “You are not the same Mew I have had my eye on for years, are you?”

A few held back snarky comments, knowing it wasn't the time for teasing. Mewtwo didn't notice, all of his attention on a neutral Mew since her statement. “What are you talking about? You know I am not of your species.”

“Oh, my dear Mewtwo, of course you are,” she tsked, inching closer as a twisted smile manifested itself. Her hips had a vague sway to them. “You just have so much to learn about your origins.”

Ho-oh then came forward in worry, ready to step between the two. “Mew, come back to camp with us, I fear you are becoming ill—” A sudden psychic wave knocked him off his feet, sending him flying back into the group. Giratina and Lugia caught him when he was passing through.

“Do not interrupt me!” she thundered, eyes flashing dangerously. “Do not take me lightly! I have the knowledge of all your weaknesses and how to use them against you! I know how to break through mental walls with ease to scramble bodily instincts or memories! With the snap of the fingers, I can stop a heart from miles away! Do not pretend you have not an inkling of what I am talking about!” was the snarl when more than one showed signs of bewilderment. “Do not even pretend you do not know who I am, I can feel your very souls cower before me!”

She then pointed her glare at Mewtwo, her face darkening as she straightened her spine. “You are no exception, clone. The only difference between you and them are your unnatural strengths. Humans made your mind and body more powerful than expected. It is a wonder you even have a soul, you mainly thrive on energy.”

He froze where he stood, feeling exposed before Mew. More than exposed, he amended, it was like she could actually see into him. The eyes were those of another being living in her body and speaking with her voice, it was similar to how Darkrai was affected. It was looking more reasonable when he noticed a still-bleeding deep cut along her wrist. And the closer she got, the more his inner self protested, sensing the same darkness that had surrounded them minutes earlier. Yards behind her, he noticed Celebi supporting himself against a tree, slowly approaching.

In the hopes it would distract her long enough, he brought himself to speak out. “What have you done with her?”

She paused a few feet away, intentionally or not in shadow, giving the eyes the sense of intimidation as they glowed. The group of Legendaries impatiently held their breaths, some secretly powering up. Mew took her time to complete a nasty smile, jutting her chin out.

“I slowly convinced her to will her own life away.” The smile turned into a toothy grin. “In other words, I traumatized and tortured her soul.”

Her tail tightly wrapped around Celebi before he could touch her, sending an electric shock through the appendage. He screamed in pain until paralysis kicked in, and she tossed him over Mewtwo to the startled group. When he spun back around, she had closed space, pressing her open mouth to his. His body began to shake from the current, forcing him to his knees. His trembling hands reached up to push her away, only for his mind to rapidly blank out, falling limp into a telekinetic hold before he lost conscious.

The few Legendaries who had prepared their attacks fired at the feline in the hopes to knock her out. They collided with the target, or so they thought, watching in disbelief as they were absorbed by an unseen shield. The moment she had pulled away from Mewtwo, she shot them a victorious grin, and blinded them with a flash of light.

When their eyesight returned, they gazed in horror at the empty space the two had just occupied.

Okay, so I read only chapter 7 so far, and will get to 8 asap. In the meantime...I'm really confused. I'm unsure what exactly happened to Mew, though I think she's possessed now? By what, I'm unsure, and I'm unsure what I think about it right now.
However, I do enjoy Mew and Mewtwo's thoughts of one another...it sounds so...lemony, you've got me hoping. :P I guess you've just got me really into this ship. XD Your emotional detail is the #1 reason I'm reading, though I love everything else about it. :3 I shall review chapter 8 soon...hopefully I won't have to edit this post. (I'd rather give you another review post).

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Ahhh, i missed out on so much and i just finish reading the other half i didn't get to finish earlier.

Anyway to the review. i competely adore the first half of chapter seven, with Mewtwo and Mew getting closer to each other under the moonlight. it felt like i was reading a advanceshipping fic for a few paragraphs. lol.

I like the personailty of Mew and Mewtwo, im trying to imgine them getting all lovey dovey and such, but its hard since all i read is peoplexpeople fanfics. but i think i'll get a image soon enough. rofl. anyway its getting good. now im going to finish the rest, hopefully in one sitting. lol.

Keep up the fantasic job Kutie pie, the way you describe in this fic is truley amazing. *w*